Search Grants & Funding

The focus of the ISP program is aimed at building the inclusion capacity and capability of eligible CCS approved ECEC services, where there are barriers to the participation of children with additional needs, with their typically developing peers. The program helps to ensure all children have genuine opportunities to access, participate and achieve positive learning outcomes as per the Approved Learning Frameworks.

The program also assists services to implement their quality, inclusive and equitable obligations under the National Quality Framework (NQF) and in accordance with the National Quality Standard (NQS) and Approved Learning Frameworks.

ECEC services eligible for support through the program are services that have been approved by the department for the provision of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) under the Family Assistance Law. The Family Assistance Law is the basis for Commonwealth child care fee assistance, which includes the Child Care Subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS). The Family Assistance Law also provides for the approval of these services to administer the Child Care Subsidy on behalf of families.

Eligible services and available support

Centre-Based Day Care

• Inclusion Agency support
• Specialist Equipment Library
• IDF-Innovative Solutions Support
• IDF-Immediate/Time-Limited Support
  • to include children with additional needs where there are immediate barriers to participation
• IDF-Additional Educator
  • o to include children with ongoing high support needs, where there are barriers to participation with;
    • diagnosed disability or awaiting diagnosis or
    • presenting with challenging or trauma related behaviour (under 6 years of age)

Outside School Hours Care; before school, after school, and vacation care:

• Inclusion Agency support
• Specialist Equipment Library
• IDF-Innovative Solutions Support
• IDF-Immediate/Time-Limited Support
  • to include children with additional needs, where there are immediate barriers to participation
• IDF-Additional Educator
  • to include children with diagnosed disability or awaiting diagnosis and ongoing high support needs, where there are barriers to participation

Family Day Care:

• Inclusion Agency support
• Specialist Equipment Library
• IDF-Innovative Solutions Support
• IDF-Family Day Care Top Up

The purpose of this grant is to provide Australian Government funding to support a wage increase for all eligible ECEC workers from December 2024.

Eligible ECEC workers include:

• workers covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010 and working in a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved Centre-Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service;
• workers covered by the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 and working in a CCS approved CBDC or OSHC service; and
• workers who are undertaking duties covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010 or Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 and working in a CCS approved CBDC or OSHC service but are not covered by these awards (including workers covered by a state industrial instrument, or working in a setting covered by a different award), and these duties constitute the majority of that workers role. 

Trainees who are undertaking a registered traineeship and whose pay and conditions are not covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010 or the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 are not included as eligible ECEC workers. 

To be eligible you must be a legal entity that provides CBDC or OSHC services (a Provider). One Provider may apply in relation to one or multiple service locations (Services) that the Provider owns and operates.

The objective of the CCCF Special Circumstances Grant Opportunity is to support continuity of child care, in particular in disadvantaged or vulnerable communities, where service viability is affected by:

• an unforeseen event or circumstance outside the control of the service,such asa natural disaster or extreme weather event, or
• another event or circumstance,which would result in market failure for the community.