Families

In Home Care is flexible, affordable, quality child care that takes place in your own home.

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What is In Home Care?

In Home Care is flexible, quality child care that takes place in your own home.

In Home Care is for families that can’t access other forms of child care, such as centre-based care or Family Day Care.

This could be because:

  • You live in a rural or remote area
  • You work non-standard hours
  • Your family has challenging or complex needs

If your family is eligible for In Home Care, we can connect with you an approved In Home Care Service in your area.

Each In Home Care Service has highly skilled and qualified educators.

And remember … we’re here to support you every step of the way!

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Responsibilities

As a Support Agency, we are responsible for:

  • Assessing your family’s child care needs to determine eligibility for the In Home Care Program, or other support services
  • Connecting families to an approved In Home Care Service Provider in their area
  • Advocating for families
  • Working with families to develop a Family Management Plan
  • Reviewing Family Management Plans every 3 months and where appropriate, transitioning families to other approved types of child care types and/or Support Services
  • Monitoring In Home Care service provision to ensure a focus on quality early childhood education and care
  • Providing resources for In Home Care Educators
  • Making recommendations to the Department of Education regarding the allocation of In Home Care places

Is In Home Care right for me?

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for In Home Care, you first need to be eligible for the child care subsidy (CCS), which is provided by the Australian Government.

Once you’re eligible for CCS, you may be suitable for In Home Care if no other type of child care is available or suitable.

You also need to meet at least one of these requirements:

  • You work non-standard hours
  • You live in a rural or remote area
  • You have complex or challenging needs that makes other forms of child care not suitable

If you meet the above criteria, please contact us.

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Complex/challenging needs

Complex and challenging needs depend on the individual.

In many instances, a situation is complex and challenging when there are ‘multiple unmet needs’. This can include situations where families experience a combination of professional, medical and social issues. These issues make using other types of approved child care inappropriate.

Here are just a few examples of families experiencing challenging or complex needs:

  • A parent is undergoing treatment for a serious illness. This prevents the children from accessing other approved child care types due to the likelihood of the parent being immunocompromised.
  • A child has a serious illness. Other types of approved child care are not appropriate due to the risk of transmitting illness.
  • The whole family is experiencing the challenging situation. For instance, the family home has burnt down in a bushfire. The family relocates to temporary accommodation and there are no child care places available in that area.
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In Home Care and NDIS

You can receive NDIS and be suitable for In Home Care.

However – NDIS and In Home Care are two different programs. This means you cannot using your NDIS funding to receive In Home Care.

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In Home Care and distance education

You cannot receive Child Care subsidy for In Home Care for the same hours that your child is engaged in distance education.

In Home Care can be provided while supervising a child doing their homework. This is because homework is not considered formal schooling.

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How to apply for In Home Care?

To apply for in home care, you need to:

  1. Be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
  2. Meet the criteria for In Home Care

The application process

Here’s how to apply for In Home Care:

  • Step 1: Complete the In Home Care (IHC) Application Form, which can be downloaded from the Department of Education website, here
  • Step 2: Once you have completed the PDF Application Form, email the PDF and attached supporting evidence, to info@ihcsa.au
  • Step 3: Allow up to 5 business days for your application to be assessed. The In Home Care Support Agency may contact you to request further information or evidence.
  • Step 4: The IHC Support Agency will provide a notice of decision by email informing if eligibility has been met
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