A BENDIGO childcare operator hopes vulnerable families will still be supported, after the federal government withdrew its coronavirus support package.
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The federal government announced a week ago that it would end its coronavirus childcare package, which had included free childcare, on July 12.
Jenny's Early Learning Centre managing director Darren Reid said the change was expected, but a mixed bag.
Continued support for the sector - a transition payment of 25 per cent of childcare centre's usual fee revenue - was positive, he said.
But Mr Reid said he would have liked further support measures in place, he said.
He said it was too soon to say what position the government's changes would put the Jenny's ELCs in.
"Because businesses and workplace still haven't resumed their typical trading, we're really unsure what that will look like for us, and for operators in general," he said.
Mr Reid said many families were not in the same financial position than pre-COVID.
He said the big unknown was whether families would still be supported by the program.
Mr Reid suggested families that were struggling could apply for government support packages from the Additional Child Care subsidy.
He said the ELCs hoped that the government would support applications through this program, so people could access high quality learning.
"We hope that vulnerable families and families in general will be still supported. But that's probably the unknown or the question mark with the new package," Mr Reid said.
"The community, and everybody's workplace looks different now.
"There are government support measures in place, we hope that they're as far wide-reaching as what the free childcare was."
OTHER NEWS:
The federal government's coronavirus package is set to end on July 20.
The sector will stop receiving JobKeeper payments from July 20.
But the sector will receive a transition payment of 25 per cent of their usual fee revenue from July 13 to September 27.
Providers have been asked to cap fees at the levels of the reference period, which was the fortnight ending March 2.
The government announced free childcare in April, offering to pay centres 50 per cent of their fees.
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