Special circumstances grant

This grant helps early childhood education and care (ECEC) services stay open when something unexpected happens. It is part of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF).

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This opportunity is open.

About the grant

The special circumstances grant helps ECEC services stay open when something unexpected happens.

The grant is for services at risk of closure due to financial viability issues resulting from:

  • a local emergency, or
  • another unexpected event which would result in a lack of suitable ECEC for the community.

Grants are targeted to services in disadvantaged or vulnerable communities. The aim is to provide continuity of care in these communities when unexpected events disrupt service delivery. 

Funding helps services remain open so they can continue to support families in the community. 

The grant is part of the Community Child Care Fund which helps services address barriers to ECEC participation.

How to apply

You can apply for a special circumstances grant at any time.

Please read the CCCF special circumstances grant guidelines before applying.

If you have questions, email CCCFspecialcircumstances@education.gov.au.

Submit an application

Eligibility

CCCF grants are for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved providers.

You may be eligible for a special circumstances grant if you operate a service that:

  • is in, or provides care for, a disadvantaged or vulnerable community, and
  • is at high risk of closing, temporarily or permanently, due to financial viability issues resulting from a local emergency, or
  • is at high risk of closing permanently due to another unexpected circumstance and is the only suitable ECEC in the community, or
  • requires financial assistance to open in a community where another service has closed and there is no other suitable ECEC.

In the case of a local emergency, you should apply after the event if:

  • you are experiencing financial viability issues due to the event, and 
  • you have already accessed other available support, such as state and territory grants.

In all other cases, you should apply as early as possible.

Disadvantaged and vulnerable communities

Many factors influence whether a community is disadvantaged or vulnerable. 

Your service may be eligible if it operates in, or services, an area:

Local emergency

A local emergency is a broad term that includes:

  • natural disasters, such as bushfires, floods, cyclones and droughts
  • extreme weather events, such as severe storms
  • pandemics, such as COVID-19.

In some cases, we may declare a CCS period of emergency. If we declare a CCS period of emergency in your region, and you experience viability issues after the event, you may be eligible for a grant.

Funding

Special circumstances grants are:

  • one-off,
  • short-term
  • expected to supplement fee income from families, including as CCS and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) payments. 

Funding amount

There is no minimum or maximum amount that you can apply for.

We determine the funding amount based on the circumstances. We consider:

  • any other funding the service gets
  • the activity being funded
  • the type of unexpected event and its impact
  • the circumstances of the applicant.

The grant is paid as a lump sum.

Funding activities

You can use grant funding for:

  • staff retention costs while the service is closed, where staff are deployed on activities to reopen
  • costs related to the provision of ECEC at an alternate venue
  • implementing changes to business practices and/or models in response to the unexpected event
  • temporarily contributing to standard operating costs so the service can remain open
  • contributing to additional costs resulting from the unexpected event
  • addressing health and safety requirements resulting from the unexpected event
  • other reasonable activities that are responsive to the needs of the community and ensure the service can continue to provide quality ECEC.

You cannot use grant funding for:

  • activities not related to the delivery of ECEC
  • activities that are already fully funded by another CCCF grant or other government program
  • activities that have not already occurred
  • any expense that is claimable under your service’s insurance policies.

Outcomes

All CCCF grant recipients are listed on GrantConnect.

We’ll notify you about the outcome of your application via email.

If successful, we will enter into a grant agreement with you. It will outline:

  • funding amount
  • terms and conditions of funding
  • record keeping, reporting and acquittal requirements.

Business support

We offer free business support to services who get a CCCF grant. This can help you review and improve your service’s financial viability and sustainability.

Learn more about business support

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