flexible childcare assistance

help with childcare costs when a childcare programme is closed

Young parents can get help with the cost of informal childcare if they're working or in employment-related education or training during times when they can’t access formal childcare programmes.

what flexible childcare assisstance is

Flexible Childcare Assistance is an employment support payment that helps caregivers with the costs of informal childcare (eg, a babysitter, or family member). The payment helps caregivers who are:

considered at risk of long-term benefit receipt,
in or starting work, employment-related education or training for at least three hours a week, and
unable to access formal childcare during those hours.

Learn more

Flexible Childcare Assistance qualifications | MAP

how flexible childcare assisstance is paid

Flexible Childcare Assistance is paid as a contribution towards costs associated with informal childcare.

The payment is not part of Money Management and will be paid directly to the young parent who is then responsible for paying the informal childcare costs themselves. Flexible Childcare Assistance can be paid for up to 52 weeks.

The rate of payment is dependent on the number of dependent children a caregiver has informal childcare costs for, and the age of the children.

Flexible Childcare Assistance is paid at a flat weekly rate. This means a young parent may start or stop becoming eligible for Flexible Childcare Assistance part-way through a week but would still receive the full weekly rate.

This means when entitlement to Flexible Childcare Assistance:

begins mid-week, Flexible Childcare Assistance is paid for the whole week (from the Monday of that week).
increases mid-week, Flexible Childcare Assistance is paid at the higher rate for the whole week (from the Monday of that week).
decreases or stops mid-week, Flexible Childcare Assistance is paid at the existing rate for the whole week. It won't decrease or stop until the following Monday.

Rates are adjusted each year on 1 April. For current rates see the Work and Income website.

what you need to do

Step one – Support the young parent to complete the form

Flexible childcare Assistance Application – S37W

Step two – Complete the ART task

Task category: Reviews

Task type: Flexible Childcare Assistance.

Next steps

YSSU will contact you or push the task back to you if they need more information.
YSSU will send you a notification via ART to let you know the outcome of the application.