Making the most out of the new Child Care Subsidy with Goodstart.

This article is sponsored by Goodstart, Australia’s largest early learning provider, and a not–for–profit social enterprise.

As a mum, the thought of putting our precious children into child care often brings about feelings of guilt, unease, and fear of the unknown.

We feel guilty because if we were still with our partners, perhaps our children wouldn’t have to go to child care.

But as a single mum, often there is no choice. We need to put our children into child care so that we can work. Someone has to earn the money.

The good news is that child care can actually be good for our kids! Yes, you heard that right. And even more so if we choose the right one.

single mum, single mom, single parent, single mother survival guide, child care subsidy, Goodstart, making the most out of the new Child Care Subsidy with Goodstart — *Image: Goodstart*

Why?

Research indicates that quality early learning has many positive impacts and sets the stage for success at school and beyond. Some of these positive impacts include:

increased school attendance,
a higher chance of high school graduation,
increased likelihood of college and university enrolments,
better long-term health,
benefits to the economy, and
less likelihood of reliance on welfare.

Sounds pretty good to me. PLUS they get to do all these exciting things that some of us could never do (or don’t enjoy doing) at home. Such as craft using glitter (no thank you), making volcanoes (how do you even do that?), and footprint paintings (that’s another no from me).

They also get to learn critical social skills that would make it hard for some (especially those without siblings) to practice.

The first five years of a child’s life are crucial. We know that 70% of brain development occurs in the first 3 years of life and 90% of brain development has already taken place before a child starts primary school. That’s why when it comes to early learning for our children, the emphasis is on QUALITY.

However, in spite of a desire to give our children a head start in life, for many of us, quality child care has been financially out of reach. Until now.

The good news is that with the new Child Care Subsidy (which starts on the 2 of July), 1 million Australian families are set to be better off. And although each case is different, in general, the Child Care Subsidy offers more generous support for families on low and middle incomes.

Goodstart can even help optimise our child care subsidy and make it even more affordable to get *quality* early learning for our children.

How?

Goodstart has introduced new flexible options which could minimise out-of-pocket costs because they understand that one size doesn’t fit all families. The new options include paying for a 9-hour or 10-hour session, in addition to their all-day sessions. All to help reduce the risk that you run out of eligible subsidised hours and have to pay full fees. There is even a grace period for the 9 and 10-hour sessions in case you are running a little late.

Thanks to these new sessions, you can choose an option that best suits your family and your lifestyle. Choose and pay for the number of hours of childcare your family needs, and optimise your Child Care Subsidy.

How much will you get?

So what subsidy will you end up getting? Check out the Goodstart Child Care Subsidy estimator and start adjusting the budget. The calculator will generate the amount of subsidy you will get per week, as well as your out of pocket expenses based on the information you provide. It’ll also estimate how much an extra day of childcare would cost you (for some this is only $6 a day!), how more hours of work would affect the subsidy you receive and it shows the Goodstart centres closest to you.

You may find that quality child care is now more affordable after all. And that leaves less to feel guilty about. It’s a win-win!

P.S DID YOU KNOW?

You can book one-on-one coaching with Julia Hasche from wherever you are in the world!

Have you just parted ways with your partner, and feeling lost?
Have you been single for a little while now and need assistance with getting your life back on track and feeling empowered?

Click HERE to read about coaching and read some testimonials, and book here for your complimentary Clarity Call.

The purpose of the Clarity Call is:

For me to get to know you and understand an overview of your current situation and where you are at.
For us to establish what you need assistance with to move forward.
To see if we are a good fit to work together.