Application for higher maximum amount

Application for Family Day Care services to report a higher maximum amount for GCCB and/or SCCB

This document allows approved Family Day Care (FDC) services to provide information about why reported fees for sessions of care that involve Grandparent Child Care Benefit (GCCB) or Special Child Care Benefit (SCCB) and which exceed $12.67 per hour (the “maximum amount”):

  • reflect a genuine liability incurred by parents or grandparents and
  • are no more than the service would have charged for the same session of care if those special ratesdid not apply (the “usual fee”).

Background

TheChild Care Benefit (Session of Care) Determination 2017 (the Determination) was amended by the Minister for Education and Trainingwith effect from 13 March 2017.

Child care provided by an approved FDC service is not a “session of care” for Grandparent Child Care Benefit (GCCB) or Special Child Care Benefit (SCCB) purposes where reported fees involve amounts for which no individual has incurred a genuine liability, or the reported fees exceed a maximum amount of $12.67 per hour (indexed to $12.84 on 1 July 2017).

Where fees genuinely exceed the maximum amount, the care is only a “session of care” if the Secretary of the Department of Education and Training (the department) considers that individuals have in fact incurred a liability for the fee and the fee is not above what the service would have charged if the GCCB or SCCB rate did not apply.

Where the fees of an approved FDC service meet these criteria, the service can make an application to the department, containing supporting documentation.

Who should use this form?

An operator of anFDC service whose reported fees for GCCB and SCCB exceed the “maximum amount” and believe their reported fees reflecta genuine legal liability and the service’s “usual fee”.

Where do I send this form?

Email the completed form, along with any supporting documentation, to:

How will the department respond?

FDC services will be advised in writing whether the department considers that reported fees above the “maximum amount” reflecta genuine legal liability and the services “usual fee”.

If so, the service may report fees up to the amount that the department considers meet these criteria.

Part 1 – Service Details

Please provide details of the FDC service.

FDCService Name

Name of the Family Day Care service (trading name):
Full legal name of the child care service:
ABN of the child care service:
CCB Approval ID of the child care service:

Service Location

Principal Business Office Address (as noted on the Service Approval and CCB Approval documentation)

Floor / Building / Unit / Apt Name:
Unit Number: / Street Number: / Street Type:
Street Name:
Suburb/Town: / State: / Postcode:
Main Telephone Number: / Mobile:
Email Address:
Please ensure this email address is the address you wish the Department to send correspondence to.

Service Postal Address

Is the postal address the same as the principal business office address? / Yes / No

If no, please complete the following details below:

Floor / Building:
Street / PO Box:
Suburb / Town: / State: / Postcode:

Please specify which rates of Child Care Benefit this application is about

GCCB / SCCB

GCCB and SCCB

Please specify which sessions provided by the FDC service (for which SCCB or GCCB may be payable) this application is about

All sessions

All sessions provided by particular educator/s – [ensure you complete Part 6 which specifically requires additional information for this category]

All sessions provided to particular child/ren – [ensure you complete Part 7 which specifically requires additional information for this category]

Please specify whether this application is about sessions for which the service is itself eligible under section 47[1] of the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999

Yes / No

Please specify what type of session of care this application for a higher maximum amount is about

Standard / Overnight

Weekend24 hour Non-Standard

What is the hourly rate the service is seeking to report?
GCCB: ______
SCCB: ______

Part 2 – Information aboutthe usualfees reported

Please ensure all questions are answered to the best of your knowledge.

Please complete the table below to specify the number of sessions and average hourly fee reported by the service for CCB, GCCB and SCCB.

Item / CCB / GCCB / SCCB
Number of sessions reportedin the last 3 months
Current hourly fee
Average hourly fee reported6 months ago
Average hourly fee reported12 months ago

Please attach your policies and procedures relating to payment of fees and provision of statement of fees as required by clause 168(2)(n) of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. Refer to Part 9 – Document Checklist.

If your service has other supporting information about its general fee charging practices (including how it discounts fees, or other general fee information), please provide this as well.

Part 3 – Evidence of Genuine Liability

Does your service enter into formal written arrangements with individuals for the provision of care?

Yes – attach examples, refer toPart 9Document Checklist / No

If you answered ‘No’, please describe how arrangements for the provision of care are entered into between individuals and your service.

Where insufficient space is provided for statements please provide information as an attachment identifying which part it is in relation to.

Do your arrangements always impose an obligation on individuals to pay a fee in return for child care, regardless of whether the Commonwealth later provides fee assistance?

Yes – attach evidence of fees charged, refer to Part 9Document Checklist / No

Can you produce samples of written statements required to be provided by section 219Eof the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999?

Yes – please attach, refer to Part 9 Document Checklist / No

Part 4–Supporting Information

Justification for reporting fees higher than the maximum amount.

Please describewhy your service’s reported fees(a) reflect the “usual fee” and; (b) a genuine liability* to pay those fees

Where this application is about sessions for which a service is eligible itself under section 47 of the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999, services should explain why the reported fees would incur a genuine liability if charged to an eligible individual. Where insufficient space is provided for statements please provide information as an attachment identifying which part it is in relation to.

Part 5 – Sessions of care provided by particular educators

To be completed where this application is about sessions provided by particular educators.

Where the below space is not sufficient additional information can be supplied by replicating the below formatted response as an attachment.

1. Details of educator/s for whom consideration is being requested

Educator 1

Name: / Date of Birth: DD / MM / YYYY
Address where care provided: / Carer ID: / Carer CRN:
Fees:

Educator 2

Name: / Date of Birth: DD / MM / YYYY
Address where care provided: / Carer ID: / Carer CRN:
Fees:

Educator 3

Name: / Date of Birth: DD / MM / YYYY
Address where care provided: / Carer ID: / Carer CRN:
Fees:

Part 6 – Sessions of care provided to particular children

To be completed where this application is in regard to sessions provided to particular children.

Where the below space is not sufficient additional information can be supplied by replicating the below formatted response as an attachment.

1. Details of the educator who provides the sessions of care to the children listed below

Name: / Date of Birth: DD / MM / YYYY
CarerID: / Carer CRN:
Address where care provided:

2. Details of thechild(ren)thisapplication relates to

Child 1Date of BirthGenderCRN

Child Name: / DD / MM / YYYY / F/M/X
Parent Name: / DD / MM / YYYY / F/M/X
Agreement attached Y / N

Child 2Date of BirthGenderCRN

Name: / DD / MM / YYYY / F/M/X
Parent Name: / DD / MM / YYYY / F/M/X
Agreement attached Y / N

Child 3Date of BirthGenderCRN

Name: / DD / MM / YYYY / F/M/X
Parent Name: / DD / MM / YYYY / F/M/X
Agreement attached Y / N

Part7–Statement of accuracy

Signature of authorised personnel

Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence.

This form needs to be signed by two Authorised Personnel.Authorised Personnel are persons that have been identified to the department as having the authority to make changes to an organisation’s/service’s details.

As the Authorised Personnel for this service, we confirm the details provided in this form are correct.

Authorised Person 1

Name: / Position:
Signed: / Date:

Authorised Person 2

Name: / Position:
Signed: / Date:

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Application for higher maximum amount

Part 8– Operator/Provider Undertaking

The operator/provider acknowledges that:

  • giving false or misleading information is a serious offence;
  • any breach of the applicant's undertakings and legal obligations may result in the imposition of sanctions, including cancellation of service's approval and, in some cases may also incur a civil penalty and/or criminal prosecution; and
  • some of the information provided in this applicationmay be disclosed to the Department of Human Services for Child Care Benefit fee assistance purposes and may be disclosed to other persons/authorities where authorised by FAL or other legislation.

The operator/provider:

  • authorises the department to verify any information provided in this application; and
  • consents to the disclosure of the information collected as part of thisapplication to any Regulatory Authority operating in a State or a Territory.

Applicant

Name: / Position:
Signed: / Date:

Part 9– Document Checklist

To allow the department to consider your application, you need to provide the documents listed below. Failure to provide documents may lead to a delay in the department considering your application for a higher maximum amount, or a response that the fees reported do not reflect a genuine liability and/or the usual fees charged. This may impact payments. If you cannot provide any of the documents listed, you will need to provide a reason why the document has not been provided.

Document

Policies and procedures relating to payment of fees and provision of statement of fees – Part 2 / □
Evidence of fees being charged – Part 3 / □
Evidence of arrangements entered into between individuals and your servicefor the provision of care – Part 3 / □
Statements that demonstrate fees charged as per section 219E[2] of the Administration Act – Part 3:
-if the application is for a service, a representative sample of the last 3 months (10 statements)
-if for an educator, last 3 months for GCCB and SCCB sessions provided by the educator
-if for a child, statements covering the last 3 months / □
If for SCCB, the relevant certificate(s) issued under section 76[3] of the Assistance Act – Part 4.
-If SCCB is being paid on the basis of a determination made under section 81 of the Assistance Act, please also include your SCCB application form / □

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[1] When an approved child care service is eligible for Child Care Benefit by fee reduction for care provided to a child at risk

[2]Obligation to provide statements

[3]Fee reductions or Child Care Benefit rate certified by an approved child care service