Single parents going back to Uni

[Ekoorb]

I was just wondering if any of you are study at Uni? And if so are you child/children at creche and how much a day do you pay for it. Ive been looking at going back to uni and a friend of mine who works in childcare was telling me something about Jet childcare. Its some rebate or something.

Does anyone know anything about it?

[scorpio83]

If it's what I think it is it's where centrelink helps you by giving you a bonus payment because you are either studying or returning to work....I may be wrong though.

[Pobblebonk]

Hi. How are you?

I am currently studying full-time at university. I have 4 full contact days this semester, and I put Mr Chicken in childcare 3 of those days, and the extra day, my Dad and Irene have him. I am entitled to 100% of the child care benefit, and that means that I pay $30 a week for childcare. If he was in 4 days of childcare however, it would jump to $50 a week.

My childcare centre provides morning and afternoon tea at no extra cost, and is also cheaper than an ABC centre, and is privately owned.

I have heard that family day care is cheaper, as the government subsidies more of the cost.

I am a single mum (of course) so I get the Single Parenting Payment, Family Tax Benefit A and B, Pharmaceutical Allowance, and I also get the Pensioner Education Supplement, which gives me $60 a fortnight extra money (which pays for my childcare!). I also get a one off payment per year towards the cost of textbooks, I think this is $200.

I don't know anything about Jet Childcare.

[ashleerose]

All i know about Jet childcare/assistance, is that it has to be approved through centerlink and it has
a certain amount of requirements that must be met before they will approve it.

Of the top of my head i recall recently hearing the uproar against the changes to Jet assistance re: if you are studying and you want jet assistance you can only get it if the course is no longer than a year, ie just say you were doing a three year course they would not give it to you because its a three year course even if you say to them you will be happy if they help out for the first year...........

Hope this helps. If not go to the centerlink website and type it in the search field.

Or call centerlink and ask them to send out an information package.

[frayzlilso]

Hi. How are you?

I am currently studying full-time at university. I have 4 full contact days this semester, and I put Mr Chicken in childcare 3 of those days, and the extra day, my Dad and Irene have him. I am entitled to 100% of the child care benefit, and that means that I pay $30 a week for childcare. If he was in 4 days of childcare however, it would jump to $50 a week.

My childcare centre provides morning and afternoon tea at no extra cost, and is also cheaper than an ABC centre, and is privately owned.

I have heard that family day care is cheaper, as the government subsidies more of the cost.

I am a single mum (of course) so I get the Single Parenting Payment, Family Tax Benefit A and B, Pharmaceutical Allowance, and I also get the Pensioner Education Supplement, which gives me $60 a fortnight extra money (which pays for my childcare!). I also get a one off payment per year towards the cost of textbooks, I think this is $200.

I don't know anything about Jet Childcare.

How many hours do you need to be studying to get the Pensioner Education Supplement?

Everything is just so new to me, and I'm already swimming through so much info it's ridiculous, but anything that can help (finances-wise) is good info to have ...

[Ekoorb]

Im currently working at the moment,send my son to creche 2 days a week and Im entitled to 100% rebate but Im paying $30 a day. Just wondering if yours is less because your studying or because your centre is cheaper than mine??My childcare centre is privately owned and it costs $60 for everyone else. Might have to check into it:detective: . Might give centrelink a call also. She what Im entitled too

[Skadi]

Ekoorb you are paying heaps. I am entitled to 100% rebate for 24 hrs (which is 2 days at daycare). I pay something like $16.47 a day after the rebate and my son goes to a privately owned centre as well.
It might have something to do with where you live though...i have noticed a lot of people down in the southern states have higher fees than we do up here.

[Pobblebonk]

How many hours do you need to be studying to get the Pensioner Education Supplement?

I think it's 75% of the full-time load, which is 3 courses, however, it might also be that you need to be doing full-time study... And it might also need to be on campus... Ask Centrelink, or search their website for Pensioner Education Supplement. It certainly does help.


Im currently working at the moment,send my son to creche 2 days a week and Im entitled to 100% rebate but Im paying $30 a day. Just wondering if yours is less because your studying or because your centre is cheaper than mine??My childcare centre is privately owned and it costs $60 for everyone else. Might have to check into it:detective: . Might give centrelink a call also. She what Im entitled too

Wow Ekoorb. You are paying LOADS. Breaking mine down it's $10 a day. I think my Centre charges $45 per day.

And the Child Care Benefit works on percentages, and also hours.

So you might be entitled to 100% benefit of 20 hours or something. Check with Centrelink.

[Ekoorb]

God I do pay HEAPS. $30 a day is a big difference from $10.

[Mum2Lucas]

30 dollars is heaps. i get 100% benefit for up to 24 hours which is 2 days a week. the centre charges 52 dollars a day and i only pay about 14 a day. and you can get the pensioner education supplement for doing open learning too. i was doing open learning last year sometime and received it.

[Hector]

I have my daughter in family day care 5 days a week but only for a few hours each day so it ends up being between 25 and 30 hours a week and with 100% Centrelink rebate I'm paying around $45 per week.

I htink that sounds similar to some of the others except pobblebonk. How long are your days?

[Pobblebonk]

I htink that sounds similar to some of the others except pobblebonk. How long are your days?

Hi Hector. I don't put Mr Chicken into a family day care environment, he goes to a child care centre, so they charge by the day, so it doesn't matter how many hours they are in for...

I hope that answers your question. :D

[MissBrightside]

I recieved Jet when I started working I paid $2 a day for both of my kids to go to childcare. Before the changes I think it would have been for 6 months, but the changes meant that I only recieved it for 6 weeks. Every bit helps I suppose. Im not sure about when you study, but it used to be for the duration of your course but now like someone else said its much less.
My older son goes 1 day a week and my younger son 2 days. I get 100% and 104% and I pay $80 for those 3 sessions of childcare. DS2 is $30 a day and DS1 is $25, and yes its an ABC centre. :rolleyes:

[becky_boo84]

hi,
i am in tfhe process of this whole jet thing too as i want to go back and study next semester .. a friend had enquired about it all for me and you only can get it if
* your a single parent
* it is a certificate course only.. they will not do it if its a diploma or batchelor
* and its not for years and years
it brings your child care payments down to just $2.00 or so a day!!! big difference. im not sure when it started but if you ring centrelink and ask to be put through to a jet coordinator you can get more info.
my bub is in 2 days a week at a abc centre as im studying now too and im paying $30 per week too even though she is only in for biout 3-4 hrs a day... but im doing a batchelor so i cant get jet till next semester when i start a certificate.