Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) provides care for children outside normal school or preschool hours. This includes on a day a child would usually attend, but the school or preschool is not operating.
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From 22 July 2024, a change to rule 45(3)(b) of the Child Care Subsidy Minister’s Rules 2017 allows OSHC services to also provide care primarily to preschool aged children either side of preschool sessions. Previously, an OSHC service could provide care for preschool children only where it provided care primarily to school aged children.
About Outside School Hours Care
OSHC provides child care outside of normal school or preschool hours. This includes care for:
- school children
- preschool children
- a combination of both school children and preschool children.
Outside normal school and preschool hours includes:
- before or after school or preschool
- on a day a child would usually attend school or preschool, but the school or preschool is closed (e.g. a pupil free day or preschool holidays).
Providing care for preschool children
OSHC for preschool children provides a wraparound service outside normal preschool hours.
OSHC services cannot provide care for preschool child on a day they do not usually attend preschool.
Example
A child attends preschool:
- Monday and Tuesday each week, and
- Wednesday every second week.
During preschool holidays, the child can only attend OSHC for full days on Monday, Tuesday and every second Wednesday to match their regular preschool attendance.
Service eligibility for preschool children
An OSHC delivering care to preschool children must not deliver a preschool or similar program (e.g. kindergarten).
Additionally, an OSHC service and preschool service cannot operate from the same location at the same time. The OSHC and preschool components can:
- operate in different rooms
- ensure children and staff are allocated only to one service at a time.
Staff roles and duties must clearly distinguish:
- educators at the OSHC service
- teachers at the preschool service.
Find out more about CCS approval.
Family eligibility and assessment
Families cannot claim Child Care Subsidy (CCS) for preschool sessions.
Families can claim CCS for care at an OSHC service before and after a preschool session.
Learn more about family eligibility and how to apply for CCS.