| SS-01 |
Given the funding follows the child, which service will actually receive the fund when a parent (innocently) submits the completed declaration form through two or more services? Will it be the service where the corresponding declaration form was received last? And what are the potential complications if the services are of different settings, ie at least one is a long daycare service, and at least another is a community preschool? |
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Services are not responsible for repaying any fee relief funding provided to families who have incorrectly asked for it at their service. The NSW Department of Education will monitor access to fee relief through data collections in 2023.
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| SS-02 |
The official Guidelines (Section 3.1) refer to a representative week (23-29 May 2022). It also does say that adjustments in funding to reflect variations will be applied by the end of 2023. Given the funding is distributed quarterly, can such adjustments be also done quarterly? And what is the process to advise the Department of the need for such adjustments before each quarter? |
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For 2023, a single funding allocation adjustment is planned. Any adjustments to funding will be applied by the end of 2023 to reflect variations in enrolment numbers, using data from a representative week in early 2023 (dates are yet to be confirmed). Adjustments will be made based on data (from the representative week) that the NSW government receives from the Commonwealth government.
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| SS-03 |
When will the data link between the NSW Department of Education and the Federal Government’s CCS platform be ready such that enrolment and attendance data will be received/adjusted by the NSW Department of Education before each next quarter for accurate-enough funding distribution purposes? |
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Consideration of improved data linkage is currently being explored through the development of the Digital Hub and discussions with the Commonwealth Government.
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| SS-04 |
Assuming that NSW services will likely emulate VIC services in terms of the CCMS software recording, use and reporting of data in relation to these funds (e.g. the documenting of fee relief in parents’ regular statements (Section 4.7)), when will the process and procedures be anticipated to be released by the CCMS software vendors? |
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The NSW Department of Education has shared information with third party software providers on the new requirements for services to distribute and record fee relief in 2023, this information is available online. Services will need to communicate directly with their software providers to understand when changes may occur. |
| SS-05 |
There are still a number of community/mobile preschools that are inferring to their parents that the NSW Government will be continue to provide free preschools beginning January 2023 onwards. While that is potentially a decision for them, is the NSW Department of Education providing any additional direct advice that the free preschools funding is ending on 31 December 2022? |
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The Department has communicated that the Start Strong Free Preschool program will end in 2022 through multiple channels. Approved Providers are encouraged to determine their individual fee structures for 2023 based on their funding allocations and individual business needs. |
| SS-06 |
If a parent has a child at two separate services and they sign a declaration for both services (unbeknown to each service)
and both services receive the funding is one of the services responsible for refunding this money to the department? |
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What we understand from discussing with the department of education is that the service will need to advise the parents they can only sign a declaration for one service. If the parent does not comply with the guidelines and signs the declaration at multiple services, effectively the service that submits the declaration last will receive the funds for the child as it will automatically override the first/previous submission.
As you know, this funding is supposed to follow the child. We understand the NSW Department of Education will interrupt the last received declaration to be where the child will receive primary early education and care.
Our understanding is that the NSW Department of Education is going to build software that connects them to the federal government CCS platform which may address your scenario of one child at multiple services.
Given this is new for NSW, we will no doubt see the NSW Department of Education evolve.
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| SS-07 |
Is Transition to School Statement compulsory as of 2022 for each child who will be transitioning to school in 2023? |
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For children transitioning to school in 2023, a Transition to School Statement (which would be completed in 2022) is recommended, but not compulsory. However, for early childhood education and care services to access Start Strong funding next year, it will be a requirement to complete Transition to School Statements (in 2023) for each child who will be transitioning to school in 2024.
Part of this requirement is use of the Department’s Transition to School Statement, with the Transition to School Digital Statement as the preferred method. Where use of the Digital Statement is not possible, the PDF version can be completed. Copies of Transition to School Statements must be retained for funding compliance purposes.
The Start Strong guidelines can be found here and you can also contact the Start Strong team at ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au for further clarification around these guidelines if needed.
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| SS-08 |
Is the Department mandating that I cannot increase my fees? How can I increase my fees for operational purposes and justify it? |
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The current Guidelines do not stipulate that you cannot increase your fees.
Although the objectives of this fund includes attempting to stop/delay services from increasing their fees (and thus can be regarded as Defaulting on the funding agreement), services might still adjust fees if it is due to reasonable increases in operating costs (eg payroll, real estate costs, insurances) as long as services can produce evidence to support such fee increases are retained and provided.
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| SS-09 |
How do I show to the NSW Department of Education that I am using the funds correctly? |
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Similar to the acquittal process for the “old” Start Strong funding, you would provide a spreadsheet outlining the amount received and how they are spent, plus for example:
- enrolment and attendance reports
- tax invoices of expenditures
ACA NSW has asked for collaboration with the NSW Department of Education to produce templates and tips to provide further guidance.
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| SS-10 |
Must I use the new funding knowing that a child is not ready for a preschool program?
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Given that the official guidelines does not stipulate the exact contents of your preschool program, services are “effectively expected” to produce a preschool program to suit those eligible children.
Services may/may not have the option to opt-out of receiving such funds for specific children. That said, parents may ultimately discover (by comparing statements with other parents) that they are not receiving such benefits which in turn may create a commercial risk.
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| SS-11 |
What if a child benefits from the (new) Start Strong funding and Affordable Preschool funding but does not go to school the next year?
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The official guidelines only outlines the eligibility of the child by age as of 31 July of that year. It does not limit the tenure of funding.
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| SS-12 |
In the official Guidelines (under Section 2.2), one of the requirements of children’s eligibility is that the child must be listed in the Australian Government’s Child Care Subsidy System (CCSS) before it can receive such funding. But if the child is ineligible for CCS, does that mean that child will not receive Start Strong or Affordable Preschool funding in a long daycare service? Your Case Study #2 for LDC 2023 suggests that the child will still receive the Affordable Preschool funding component (https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/early-childhood-education/operating-an-early-childhood-education-service/current-service-providers/start-strong-funding/Calculating_Fee_Relief_Payment.pdf) but seems to imply the same child does not get the (new) Start Strong funding component. Which is it? |
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All NSW families with eligible children can access fee relief, they do not have to be receiving CCS. There are also no residency or visa requirements to access fee relief. |
| SS-13 |
There seems to be confusion over the 2 representative weeks outlined – ie 23-29 May 2022 vs 2-8 August 2021. Can you please elaborate how the two different weeks are used? |
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For the new 2023 Start Strong for Long Day Care Program funding for eligible services is calculated based on enrolment data provided by the Australian Government from the representative week of 23 May to 29 May 2022 with adjustments being made based on a representative week in early 2023. The dates that will make up the representative week in early 2023 are yet to be determined.
The August 2021 representative week was used to allocate the initial funding allocations under the 2022/23 Start Strong Long Day Care program. In November 2022, top-up payments were made to using the updated data from the representative week from May 2022.
Data from August 2021 has no impact on the funding allocation for 2023 Start Strong for Long Day Care program.
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| SS-14 |
How are long daycare service to report/prove that their early childhood teachers and educators are delivering their preschool programs to children? How will the NSW Department of Education monitor when early childhood teachers and educators deliver their preschool programs? And can you define the term “deliver” in logistical terms? |
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To be considered eligible for funding under 2023 Start Strong for Long Day Care, a provider’s service must meet the Service Eligibility Criteria under Section 2.1 of the program guidelines, including:
- deliver a quality early childhood education program to children aged 4 and above, that is:
- delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher (ECT) in accordance with the requirements under the National Quality Framework, and
- using the Early Years Learning Framework
While the National Law and Regulations do not define the word delivered, the department considers the delivery of the early childhood education program to mean that it is:
- Developed and/or delivered by an ECT provided that the service meet their legal obligations under National Law and Regulations.
An individual can be counted as an ECT if they:
- hold an approved early childhood teaching qualification, OR
- hold a former approved early childhood teaching qualification that commenced before 1 January 2012, OR
- hold a qualification that ACECQA has determined to be an equivalent early childhood teacher qualification, OR
- hold a qualification that ACECQA has assessed as equivalent to an approved early childhood teaching qualification.
More information on qualifications can be found here. You may also search the NQF approved qualifications list at ACECQA’s website.
Where a service may have a waiver in place, they will continue to be eligible. The department does not intend penalise services through changes to Start Strong funding where there are gaps in a preschool program being delivered by an ECT.
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| SS-15 |
Can the (new) Start Strong and Affordable Preschool fundings still be used for eligible children in the period between typically the end of one year and just before school starts (ie potentially 27 December to the day before kindergarten starts)? |
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Yes, eligible children who attend a preschool program during January 2023, prior to the start of their school year may receive fee relief. |
| SS-16 |
Apparently, there was an e-mail broadcast asking (at least) long daycare services to agree to the terms and conditions by 13 January 2023 and not 31 January 2023 as outlined in Section 3.3. |
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Section 3.3 indicates Approved Providers must accept the Terms and Conditions in ECCMS before 31 January 2023 or a specified date as communicated by the department.
13 January 2023 was specified by the department to ensure funding, particularly fee relief funding, is paid early Term 1 2023. If Approved Providers accept by 31 January 2023, their payment will be progressed later in Term 1.
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| SS-17 |
What steps should I take if there's a Conflict of Interest related to the funding I receive from the Department of Education? |
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If you have an actual, perceived or potential conflict of interest in connection with the funding received from the Department of Education, then it is important to ensure that there is a Conflict of Interest Register in Place.
Conflicts of Interest, can be 'financial' and 'non-financial'. Non-financial interests refer to an interest that can arise from things such as personal relationships, beliefs, or involvement in social and cultural activities. Financial interest refers to a financial gain or loss for the company with whom a workplace participant is closely assosicated e.g. a friend or relative in the Department of Education's funding team, or distributing funding to a family member enrolled in your service.It is essential for service's to declare any conflicts of interest whether they are actual, potential or perceived.
The Department of Education have created a Conflict of Interest Register Template. ACA NSW also offer a NSW Conflicts of Interest Policy.
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