Early Childhood Education and Care COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package–information for providers and services
The 50 per cent calculation is derived from a two week period, but paid weekly. Is the first week payment derived from the 1st sample week and the second week payment derived from 2nd sample week, or is it averaged for the sample fortnight and split out for the weekly payment?
The reference fortnight is as follows:

For an Outside School Hours Care Service (OSHC) that provides only vacation care–the fortnight starting on the first Monday of the school holidays between school Term 3 and Term 4 in 2019 in the state or territory in which the service is located.
For all other services–the fortnight starting 17 February 2020.
Note: where a service charged fees for only part of the fortnight starting 17 February 2020, or in the school holidays between Terms 3 and 4 in 2019, an Exceptional Circumstance Supplementary Payment will be made in accordance with these rules.

For example

An OSHC service that operates in New South Wales provides only vacation care. Therefore, their reference period is 30 September 2019 to 13 October 2019.

For example

An OSHC service provides both vacation care and before and after school care. Their reference period is from 17 February 2020 to 1 March 2020.

For example

An OSHC service operating in New South Wales providing only vacation care, charged fees for one week in the school holiday period between Terms 3 and 4 in 2019. However, the reference fortnight for the service does not change, meaning that the base weekly amount for the provider of the service that is calculated under the Rules, would be effectively half of the amount it would be if the service had operated for the full reference fortnight, instead of only one week. However, the provider of the service will receive an Exceptional Circumstance Supplementary Payment to adjust for the week.

The payment amount will be determined based on the total fees charged by the
service during a reference fortnight and the reference hourly fee (up to
hourly rate cap) for a session of care.
For example
On the fortnight starting 17 February 2020, a Centre Based Day Care service
(CBDC) had 20 children attending the service. Each child attended 10 sessions
of care for the fortnight (or five per week) and were charged $100 for a 10
hour session (meaning the hourly fee was $10). This example assumes that all
of the children were charged the same amount for the same session lengths. For
that fortnight, the service’s total fees charged were $20,000 (or $10,000 per
week).
The payment this service will receive is worked out below:

the service’s hourly reference fee is $10 (because it is lower than the CBDC hourly rate cap)
$10 hourly fee x 50 per cent = $5 paid per hour
$5 x 10 hour session = $50 paid per session
$50 x 20 children x 5 sessions per week = $5,000 paid per week.

For example:
On the fortnight starting 17 February 2020, a CBDC service had 20 children
attending the service. Each child attended 10 sessions of care per fortnight
(or five per week) and was charged $130 for a 10 hour session (meaning the
hourly fee was $13). This example assumes that all of the children were
charged the same amount for the same session lengths. For that fortnight, the
service’s total fees charged were $26,000 (or $13,000 per week).
The payment is worked out below:

the service’s hourly reference fee is $11.98 (because their hourly fee is above the CBDC hourly rate cap at $13)
$11.98 x 50 per cent = $5.99 paid in business continuity per hour
$5.99 x 10 hour session = $59.90 paid in business continuity per session
$59.90 x 20 children x 5 sessions per week = $5,990 paid to the service per week.

The reference fortnight is as follows:

For an OSHC service that provides only vacation care–the fortnight starting on the first Monday of the school holidays between school Term 3 and Term 4 in 2019 in the state or territory in which the service is located.
For all other services–the fortnight starting 17 February 2020.
Note: where a service charged fees for only one week of care during the fortnight starting 17 February 2020, or in the school holidays between Terms 3 and 4 in 2019, an Exceptional Circumstance Supplementary Payment will made in accordance with these rules.

For example:

An OSHC service that operates in New South Wales provides only vacation care. Therefore, their reference period is 30 September 2019 to 13 October 2019.

For example:

An OSHC service provides both vacation care and before and after school care. Their reference period is from 17 February 2020 to 1 March 2020.

For example:

An OSHC service operating in New South Wales providing only vacation care, charged fees for one week in the school holiday period between Terms 3 and 4 in 2019. However, the reference fortnight for the service does not change, meaning that the base weekly amount for the provider of the service that is calculated under the Rules would be effectively half of the amount it would be if the service had operated for the full reference fortnight, instead of only one week. However, the provider of the service will receive an Exceptional Circumstance Supplementary Payment to adjust for the week.

The reference hourly fee for a session is 50 per cent of the lower of:

the hourly fee for the session; or
the relevant Child Care Subsidy hourly rate cap.

For example:

a CBDC service charges $100 for a 10 hour session of care. Therefore, their hourly fee is $10 per hour ($100 ÷ 10 = $10)
The CBDC hourly rate cap is $11.98
The reference hourly fee is the hourly fee ($10) because it is lower
50 per cent of the hourly session fee is $5 ($10 x 50 per cent = $5).

For example:

a CBDC service charges $130 for a 10 hour session of care. Therefore, their hourly fee is $13 per hour ($130 ÷ 10 = $13)
The CBDC hourly rate cap is $11.98
The reference hourly fee is the CBDC hourly rate cap ($11.98) because it is lower
50 per cent of the hourly reference fee is $5.99 ($11.98 x 50 per cent = $5.99).

*[OSHC]: Outside School Hours Care