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IF YOU need help with the costs of approved child care, you may be able to get a Family Assistance Office payment called Child Care Benefit.
This can be paid either as reduced child care fees throughout the year, or as a lump sum payment after you've lodged your tax return for that year.
You must be an Australian resident or meet certain other conditions.
You may also be able to get Child Care Benefit if you're not using an approved child care service if the carer you're using is registered with the Family Assistance Office.
If you choose to get Child Care Benefit as reduced fees through an approved child care service, you'll need to keep the Family Assistance Office informed of any changes or increases to family income during the year, as any increase may mean you've already received more in reduced fees than you should have.
To get Child Care Benefit for any child under seven, you must show the Family Assistance Office that your child's immunisation is up-to-date, or you must have an approved exemption for your child.
Depending on your circumstances, you could get up to 20, 50, or more than 50 hours of Child Care Benefit per child per week.
No matter what your circumstances, you'll still be able to get up to 20 hours of Child Care Benefit per child per week. You can get up to 50 hours if you and your partner, if you have one, are working, studying or training, looking for work or in certain other circumstances. There are also other requirements to get more than 50 hours.
To make sure you get the right amount of Child Care Benefit, check that your receipts from your child care service show the same amount you've been charged, and that your child's attendance and absences are correctly recorded on any statements your service gives you.
If you're getting Child Care Benefit as reduced fees, you'll need to tell your child care service:
* If your child has more than 30 absences in any financial year;
* If you're getting higher fee reductions because you've got more than one child using child care, and your other child, or children, stops using child care; or
* If you're using more than one approved child care service for any child, and the amount of child care you're using changes at any other service.
You'll also need to tell the Family Assistance Office if certain things happen to change your circumstances throughout the year which may affect your payments. These include:
* Changes to your annual family income;
* A change in your child care service;
* If your address changes;
* If you'd like to change the way you get Child Care Benefit; or
* If you stopped using child care for any of your children.
If you get Child Care Benefit as reduced fees, you may need to provide the Family Assistance Office with an estimate of your annual family income for the financial year. This is important, as families on lower incomes get more Child Care Benefit than families on higher incomes.
And, if at any time it looks as if your actual income will be higher or lower than your estimated income, contact the Family Assistance Office as soon as possible to change your estimate.This will reduce the risk of an overpayment, and you can do it as many times as you need.