Who will be able to access free childcare?

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Mr Morrison announced a relief package that would come into effect from Sunday night.

He said anyone who had a job was considered “essential” and that child care was an essential service to keep all parents who still had jobs in the current economy in that work.

Under the plan, the government will pay half the reasonable fee cap to centres for the next six months as long as they remain open and don’t charge parents any fees.

The funding will start from April 6 and will cover enrolments as they stood in the fortnight leading up to March 2, before people started pulling their kids out of care en masse due to losing their jobs or out of health fears. The means and activity-testing of fee subsidies will be dropped while the new system is in place.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Gary RamageSource:News Corp Australia

Centres must also seek to re-enrol children who have been withdrawn, to make sure parents can keep places if they need them once the crisis is passed.

“If you have a job in this economy then that is an essential job, in my view, in terms of running of the economy and it is important that all of those parents who have children, that they get access to child care and those facilities will be there for them in the many months ahead,” Mr Morrison said.

“What we will be doing is we will be ensuring for those parents who are still in that position where they are needing that child care, it will be free.

“We will be putting in place support arrangements to childcare facilities, some 13,000 of them, to ensure they remain open and be there for their parents to ensure they can do what they need to do each day.”

Education Minister Dan Tehan said the package would only apply for centres that remain open and do not charge families for care.

“What we want to do by doing this is ensure that your childcare centre will remain open, so that you know where you normally take your child to get cared, that that will be there for you, so you are not looking to have to go to a new centre,” he told reporters on Thursday.

The system will be reviewed after one month, with an extension to be considered after three months.

From Sunday night working parents will be able to receive free child care. Picture: istockSource:istock

The Morrison Government will also provide $453.2 million for preschools in 2021 to support almost 350,000 children to attend preschool.

Mr Morrison said, until the payments arrived, services could waive gap fees for families who keep their children home, and families would be able to use the 20 extra absence days without giving up their place in a child care centre.

“If you have terminated your enrolment since 17 February, then I encourage you to get back in contact with your centre and re-start your arrangements,” he said.

“Re-starting your enrolment will not require you to send your child to child care and it certainly won’t require you to pay a gap fee. Re-starting your enrolment will, however, hold your place for that point in time when things start to normalise, and you are ready to take your child back to their centre.

“We will also make payments of higher amounts available in exceptional circumstances, such as where greater funding is required to meet the needs of emergency workers or vulnerable children.”

The PM clarified that there was no health risk to children going to school or childcare centres.

“What we always have said in the health advice has been very clear and it is has not changed,” he said.

“There is no health risk to children going to school or going to child care. So that hasn’t changed. Absolutely no change.

“That has been the clear and consistent advice that the government has received and that I have relayed on these issues, as has the premiers.

“They all have said that. The health advice is clear. Children can go to child care and children can go to school.”