1. family and parenting

Family Day Care
Business & Customer Support Centre
Compliance Information Guide
October 2012 – Version 2
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Contents
CHILD CARE BENEFIT
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Child Care Benefit is not paid
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CHILD CARE REBATE
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BILLING MODELS
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TOTAL FEE
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WHEN THE BUSINESS CENTRE RECOUPS MONEY
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SIGNING AND DATING
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ABSENCES
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24 HOUR CARE
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FRAUD
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IMPORTANT POINTS
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HANDY NUMBERS / WEBSITES
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Child Care Benefit
 Child Care Benefit (CCB) is a payment available to parents to help with the cost of child care. Parents use CCB
to reduce their child care fees.
 Educators are paid the CCB part of the parent’s child care bill by lodging a claim form with the Family Day Care
Business and Customer Support Centre. The claim form is processed by Family Day Care and the Department
of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) via the Child Care Management System (CCMS).
 The FDC – Claim for Child Care Benefit (including Attendance Record) is used to record all the information
needed to claim the benefit.
 If the claim forms are not filled in correctly the parents will not get their CCB and will have to pay the educator
the full fee for their child care.
 DEEWR check the claim forms and other documents when they audit the scheme. Family day care has to make
sure that CCB claims are completed properly and that paperwork is not missing.
 Information in this booklet will help you to fill in the forms correctly and ensure the CCB claims are paid. This
will help to keep family day care funded and operating properly, and ensure CCB claims are being paid to
educators.
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Child Care Benefit is not paid:
1. If you charge a fee to reserve a place for a child.
For example, a parent wants to start care with you in 4 weeks time and agrees to pay a fee for you to keep
the place for them until their child starts care. This fee is not able to be claimed under CCB as it is not a
direct child care fee.
2. For absences when a family ceases care without giving you notice.
If a family leaves care without providing 2 weeks notice you cannot claim CCB as absences for the 2 weeks,
you should ask the parent to pay the full fee for the 2 weeks. This is not always possible if the parent has
left no forwarding address or contact number, therefore to avoid losing the 2 weeks fees it is recommended
to charge a bond when care begins. If the parent gives you 2 weeks notice you can return the bond when
they leave, and if they don’t give you notice you keep the payment to cover the fees.
3. For absences claimed on the first and/or last day/s of care.
If the child does not attend the first or last day/s of care you are unable to claim an absence. The parent will
need to pay the full fee for that day/s. Please note: The Business Centre will recover any CCB
inadvertently paid to educators in these cases.
4. If you are not available to do the care, even if it is contracted.
If care has to be cancelled because you are unable to do it, for instance if you are sick, go on holiday, have
an emergency, or attend a training course (Family Day Care or external) you cannot claim CCB for
the booked care.
5. For a bond that you charge a parent
A bond is a separate payment that you manage with a parent. You cannot claim CCB for a bond as it is not a
direct child care fee.
6. For a public holiday absence claimed from hours booked on a short term contract.
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Child Care Rebate
 Families can choose from four different options for payment of their CCR. They can receive the payment
fortnightly to their own bank account, or have it paid direct to family day care as a fee reduction. Alternatively
they can continue with a quarterly or annual payment.
 The following example explains how CCR as fee reductions are calculated through Family Day Care, so you can
understand and explain variations.
Please note: Educators are not required to calculate these amounts and should avoid estimating the fee
reduction amounts in advance, as an estimate is unlikely to be accurate.
Example
If a family’s Total Fee for the week is $500 and their CCB fee reduction amount is $200; they currently have an
out-of-pocket (or gap) fee of $300. The CCR fee reduction amount will be half (50%) the out-of-pocket amount
($150) less 15%. This is $150 – $22.50, making a payment of $127.50 to the service on the family’s behalf.
The remaining gap fee that the family owes the service is $172.50.
In this example, the fee owed to your service is made up of three parts:
Child Care Benefit
$200.00
Child Care Rebate
$127.50
Family contribution
$172.50
(gap fee)
Total
$500.00
 Why is CCR paid when the family hasn’t paid their fees?
Family Assistance law states that CCB and CCR are family entitlements based on having a liability to pay the
child care fees. Even if a family account falls behind, the family still has a liability and CCB and CCR can still be
paid. How you recover the gap fee is a business decision based on your debt collection strategy.
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Billing Models
 Many educators estimate CCB fee reduction amounts and charge families an approximate gap fee in advance.
If you choose to invoice in advance and charge families the approximate gap fee before you are notified of the
exact CCB and CCR amount by the CCMS, complications can arise when a family’s CCB entitlement changes or
is cancelled.
 If you haven’t already adapted your business model to suit the CCMS payment cycle, you may like to consider
an alternative to estimating CCB fee reductions. Three potential invoicing models are described below for your
consideration:
BILLING MODEL
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Start with full fees
 Good for your cash flow
 Correct CCB/CCR amount applied
once pay advice received
 Less chance of adjustments after a
child has left care
 Less affordable for families at start
of care
Charge when you receive
your pay slip
 Correct CCB/CCR amount is applied
 Fewer adjustments to parent’s fee
amounts
 Impact on your cash flow ie delay in
your first payment
 Families can owe money when they
leave care
Estimate CCB / CCR in
advance
 Familiar model
 CCB amount likely to change
 CCR difficult to calculate
 Families can owe money when they
leave
 Frequent adjustments to parent’s
fee amounts
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Total Fee
 The total fee is the amount the family is responsible to pay and for which you have invoiced the family for
providing standard services, including: hourly rate, meals, nappy services and excursions that form part of the
standard care service provided in that week.
This includes where you charge fees for different age groups eg:
0-2 year olds $5.50
2-5yrs $5.00
This is part of your standard fee schedule and is allowable.
 The total fee does not include one off charges, surcharges or penalty fees.
 Where a discount is applied to the total fee, the total fee reported should be the discounted fee.
 Where you include an additional charge on top of the standard fee, the total fee reported should be the fee for
standard service only, not including the surcharge e.g. An educator who has only 3 hours of care and charges
the family a surcharge of $14 per day for having a minimum number of hours, can only report the standard
hourly fee to CCMS in the total fee. The parent would have to pay the $14 out of their own pocket.
Example
You are required to
complete these areas on
your claim forms
Standard
Full time
hrs
Standard
part time
hrs
Weekly Cost of Care
(including Admin Levy)
$ 96.45
Meals
$ 10.00
Travel
$
Other Costs
$
Total Cost of Care
$ 106.45
3
Extended
Hrs
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NOTES
Childcare Benefit
Entitlement
$
Parent to pay
$
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When the Business Centre recoups money how/why?
 There are occasions when it is mandatory for the Business Centre to process an adjustment to recover money
from an educator. In this instance you will be contacted by the Business Centre and advised on the course of
action we will take to recover CCB or CCR. The course of action taken to recover CCB or CCR can occur either
by:
o An adjustment in your fortnightly pay
o A payment schedule - to take smaller amounts over a period of time
o An invoice issued from DECD Accounts Unit.
 Admin Levy: In the instance where an educator has only families who do not claim or are not eligible for CCB
or CCR then we need to collect the admin levy from the educator. You will receive an invoice from DECD
Accounts Unit with the amount you are required to pay and payment options.
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Signing and Dating
 Educators and parents are required to date the CCB Claim Forms when signing them at the bottom of the form.
Undated signatures could mean that the claim forms were signed in advance (before the care actually
happened).
 The parent or guardian must fill in the shaded area of the claim form (attendance part), showing the exact
time the child comes into care and the exact time the child leaves (to the nearest 5 minutes).
 Educators are not to sign the children in and out of care on behalf of the parent or put in the hours the child
has attended in the attendance section of claim forms;
except-: when a child arrives into care or leaves care without a parent. Then you can write the time and your
initials in the shaded area of the claim form. The parent then counter initials that part of the form the next time
they see you. This is what you do if you take a child to pre-school or school, or if you pick a child up from preschool or school.
 When a neighbour or friend of the parent is required to sign the child in or out of care (drop off / pick up) you
must have written permission from the parent and you must keep this in your files. Where a friend or relative
is caring for the child longer term (eg a few weeks) a copy of the permission slip needs to be sent to the
Business Centre.
I give permission for my child,
neighbour
Signed
Jennifer Jackson
to be collected from family day care by my
Pauline Brown (Auntie Pauline)
James Jackson
date 20/05/12
Pauline Brown
date
20/05/12
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The parent (or pick up person)
to fill in the attendance times
and sign the child in and out of
care (shaded area)
WEEK 1
Monday
8.05 a
8am
JJ
4.55p
5pm
JJ
Start
End
Educator to fill in
contracted hours or
actual hours provided
(unshaded area)
Example
Tuesday
NC
Wednesday
NC
Thursday
NC
Friday
NC
Saturday
10.30am
10.30am
JJ
1.30pm
1.30pm
JJ
Sunday
NC
Start
End
Absence Code
WEEK 2
Monday
3.25pm
3.30pm SS JJ
6.30pm
6.30pm
JJ
Start
End
Tuesday
NC
Wednesday
NC
Thursday
NC
Friday
NC
Saturday
NC
Sunday
NC
Start
End
Absence Code
Timesheet - Educator to complete, detailing contracted hours of care or actual hours of care (to the nearest half hour). Attendance Record - parent to complete actual time and initial (shaded column)
You can fill in the times if you are picking
up or dropping off a child. The parent
initials when they see you next.
Educator must write the
date when it is signed.
Parent must write the date when it is
signed.
This is a true and correct record of care booked and/or used for this period
Educator Signature
SSmith
White Copy – For Data Entry Please submit fortnightly for payment
Date 23/7/12.
Parent Signature
Yellow Copy – Parent Copy To be issued to parent each fortnight
J Jackson
Date 23/7/12
Green copy – Careprovider Retain for your records (for 3 years)
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White Copy - For Data Entry Please submit fortnightly for payment
Absences
 Each child is eligible to receive CCB for an initial 42 absence days per financial year without supporting
documentation (this includes public holidays).
 Absences must be recorded on the claim form by writing “A” in the Absence Code section. See example below
 Absences are not to be claimed in lieu of notice. If a parent ceases care without giving you the expected 2
weeks notice, you must not claim absences for the following 2 weeks.
 Absences cannot be claimed on the first and/or last day/s of care.
 Any additional absences occurring after the 42nd absence will only be paid for ‘permitted circumstances’.
Parents will need to seek approval and provide documentation for additional absences through the Business
Centre.
 Where sessions of care are greater than 12 hours the care must be actual care and not booked care. For
example, if a child is booked in for 18hours, but only attends for 10, then you can only claim the first session of
12 hours plus a 6 hour absence session. See example below
 Preschool absences: all educators who claim the hours that a child attends preschool/kindergarten are required
to write the attended preschool/kindy session time on the child’s claim form each fortnight. See example below
Example
Week 1
Start
End
Monday
8am
Absent
JJ
6pm
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
8am
8am
8am
3pm
6pm
6pm
6pm
12am
PS
8.45a- 11.30a
PS 8.45a- 11.30a
& 12.15p-3p
Saturday
3.05p
JJ
Sunday
12am
10am
1.00a
JJ
N/C
Start
End
Absence
Code
Regular absence
A
Preschool attendance
A
Greater than 12 hour
session absence
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24 hour Care
A Child is considered to be in 24 hour care if he or she does not return to the care of their
parents or guardians for any time during a 24 hour period.
An educator must not provide a period of 24 hour care to a child unless the parent/guardian
has sought approval from a Coordinator at the Coordination Unit.
24 hour care can only be approved when a child needs care because neither the parent nor
guardian is able to care for the child due to:
 Work related commitments or
 Exceptional circumstances that exist during that period (for example, short term family
crisis/emergency)
CCB will be paid for authorised 24 hour care only. Special Child Care Benefit cannot be paid
for 24hr periods unless exceptional circumstances apply.
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Fraud
What is fraud?
In the broadest sense, a fraud is a deception made for personal gain.
Deception is the act of convincing another to believe information that is not true.
Writing things on a contract or claim form that are not true so you can obtain CCB payment is
fraud.
Fraud that relates to Child Care Benefit includes:
Asking or letting parents sign a blank claim form or contract
Asking or letting parents sign a claim form in advance
Claiming for care that did not happen (excluding absences on contracted care)
Claiming for care at a time different to when you did the care
Signing or initialling a contract or claim form for the parent
Continuing to claim CCB after the family has left your care
If you need to change something on a contract or claim form you must use black or blue ink (pen
or biro) and you are required to ask the parent to put their initials next to the changes.
Fraud is a serious breach of your conditions of registration. If it is found that you have committed
fraud you could have your registration revoked and you could be prosecuted by the police.
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Important points
Don’t sign a contract or claim form for the parent.
Don’t change the hours or times on a contract or claim form after the
parent has signed it.
Don’t claim for care that you haven’t done, unless it is one of the
eligible 42 or additional absences.
Don’t write contracts for more days than the parent needs.
Don’t use white out to change a contract or claim form.
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Handy Numbers / Websites:
Family Day Care Business & Customer Support Centre
5 Harewood Ave, Enfield SA 5085
8343 6533
1300 551 890 (Country Callers)
8343 6544 (Fax)
[email protected]
www.decd.sa.gov.au/familydaycare
Department of Human Services (DHS) - formally known as Family Assistance Office (FAO)
13 61 50
www.humanservices.gov.au
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