Nannies and the Child Care Rebate
by
, 01-07-2012 at 16:19
(1610 Views)
The Great Child Care Debate ...
You might have heard there has been a lot of talk around lately about making all child care options more affordable and accessible for families no matter what their circumstances are.
A big part of these discussions have been the choice for families to be able to access care in their own homes, with the assistance of a nanny.
With the cost of child care rising, nannies, who only seemed to be previously linked to the rich and famous, are now becoming the norm for families across Australia.
This increase in demand has set tongues wagging on the topic of funding for these nannies and it seems to be popping up in articles all over the place. The main point to these articles is why can families not claim the Child Care Benefit and Rebate on the costs they pay for having a nanny.
Surely having their children cared for in their own home surrounded by their siblings and creature comforts is by far the better choice for families?
It would eliminate the stress caused as busy working families make the dash to and from work to get to day care before it closes ... there would be no days off for families because their children are too ill to attend ... children can be bathed and fed by the time their parents get home from work or stay in their PJs all day if they are unwell!
With the cost of living rising, in most families both parents are required to work to make ends meet. If the cost of having a nanny was subsidised by the Government like other forms of care are, children may be able to spend the better part of the week in their home environment.
In-home care allows families to be able to claim the Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate on the cost of having a nanny in their home. They must however meet strict eligibility criteria to be able to do this.
The discussions are suggesting that the eligibility criteria be lightened or removed to make it easier for families to access this kind of care. The requirement for all in home care provision to meet a regulatory framework should be given urgent attention.
It will be interesting over the next couple of years to see where the debate goes ... hopefully to a place where families can be the ones to decide what is best for their families and themselves.
Mark as Read
