About – The Child Care Industry
The childcare industry provides services to children under 12 years of age. These services include long day care, family day care, occasional care, outside school hours care and vacation care.
In recent years, Australia has experienced a surge in demand for childcare services. Approximately 1.3 million children aged 12 and under are expected to attend some form of government-approved or government-funded childcare service in 2020.
One of the main catalysts for increased demand for childcare is that many women are returning to the workforce after giving birth.
In 2018 the Australian Government invested additional funding into the new Child Care Package to provide more support for families. The new system, which is known as the Child Care Subsidy is paid directly to approved providers.
Provider Approval – Obtaining a provider approval is a prerequisite to operating one or more approved childcare services and is nationally recognised. Once granted, provider approval is ongoing, unless suspended or cancelled
Childcare centre ownership, has provided many business opportunities as more families use childcare services. Childcare centres have become an appealing commercial opportunity for larger corporations, private companies and other investors. There are also opportunities for the smaller family, owner operated services.