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| Kid swapping in FDC
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| October 12 deadline
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New measures aimed at ending the practice of child swapping in family day care are set to take effect on 12 October 2015.
Child swapping is when an educator (or their partner) receives child care payments for a session of family day care provided to their child on the same day that they are providing a family day care service to other children.
The former Minister for Social Services, Scott Morrison, announced the changes and said half of all family day care services in Australia are at high-risk of non-compliance on this issue.
"Taking account of consultations with the family day care sector, government members and Senator Nick Xenophon, this new measure will prevent child swapping in the future and strengthen the government's capacity to take compliance action against unscrupulous family day care services to ensure the sector operates as originally intended," said Minister Morrison.
There are specified circumstances where child swapping occurs for legitimate reasons these include when:
- a child has been diagnosed as having a particular disability or medical condition
- a family day care service receiving payment of Inclusion Support Subsidy because the child is undergoing continuous assessment of a disability
- a child lives in a remote or very remote part of Australia
- on the same day as a child receives care through a family day care service, the family day care educator is required to work (other than as a family day care educator), or attend particular education or training.
However, any service that provides care to a child under these circumstances must have documentary evidence and keep a register of the evidence.
"Family day care educators will still be able to claim child care payments if they place their child with other service types, such as long day care," Minister Morrison said.
However, Mr Morrison said the government would not tolerate rule breakers and people who take advantage of the system.
"The child swapping integrity measure strikes a balance between the need to address child swapping practices across the sector while safeguarding legitimate operators and the families who depend upon them," he said.
For more information check out the fact sheet and FAQs about the changes, which are available online. |
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