What is Stretched Funding?
The standard 15 or 30 hours funding is usually spread over 38 weeks of the year.  At Early Days, we will stretch your funding entitlement across our 40 weeks of contracted term time which equates to up to 14.25 hours of funding (for 15 hours funding) or up to 28.5 hours funding (for 30 hours a week funding).​

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How we apply funding and what you can expect to pay?

As a result of the Government’s misleading advertising behind 9-23 month, 2, 3 and 4 year old funding, there is a common misconception that when parents claim funding it allows for ‘free childcare’.  Government policy dictates that the fixed hourly reimbursement is not designed or sufficient to cover the full operating expenses of a nursery program.  The funding subsidies distributed to childcare providers are specifically intended to cover basic care and education but do not cover all the high quality education expenses which benefit a child’s development. This includes costs related to more experienced staff, curriculum materials, enrichment activities, and developmental supplies. These additional core costs like healthy meals, nappies, changing supplies, other consumables, enrichment activities and tuition based learning resources are understood to be covered by supplemental private payments.

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Government reimbursement rates to childcare providers are tiered based on the age of the children receiving subsidised care. Due to differences in staff-to-child ratios, activity costs, and general developmental needs at various nursery ages, the hourly funding levels are higher for our 2 year old rooms compared to care for 3 and 4 year olds. Specifically, the government’s hourly funding amount to help cover a 2-year-old’s nursery placement is significantly higher than what they allocate for 3 and 4 year olds. However, our nurturing programming and engaged activities for all ages come at similar operational expenses on our end regardless of reimbursement levels.

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Parents can expect to pay for the balance of the unfunded hours, along with lunch, two healthy snacks and, for children in both our Hedgehogs and Squirrels classes, a daily consumables charge for nappies, wipes and associated consumables.  The charges for these additional hours, meals and consumables are billed at a higher rate in our funded package in order that the comprehensive care costs are covered by reasonable nursery fees.

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