Family Day Care and Respite Care

In reply to Mr BOYER (Wright) (23 November 2020). (Estimates Committee B)

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education): I am advised of the following:

Family day care educators and respite care providers are small business operators. Family day care educators set their own child care fees independently. Fees for respite care providers are set by the service in line with the National Disability Insurance Scheme price guidelines.

In 2019 the Department for Education explored if there was a better way to support the small businesses offering family day care and respite care through a market engagement process. This found that there was sufficient market interest from reputable providers in a transfer of existing family day care and respite care services.

We are now moving to an approach to market.

Through this process we will be detailing the conditions of any transfer.

Through the approach to market the intention is to minimise any disruption to educators, care providers and families ensuring that every educator and care provider is able to continue operating their business.