In Home Care Child Care Package
Australian Government
The In Home Care (IHC) program is part of the child care package and provides flexible care that supports families' workforce participation and child care requirements where other options are not available or suitable. Administered by the Australian government, the program is capped at up to 3,200 places, providing up to 100 hours of subsidised care per child per fortnight with a family hourly rate cap, subject to Child Care Subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy eligibility criteria. The program provides access to government subsidised child care in the family home and is targeted to assist families who are unable to access other approved child care options such as those who work non-standard hours, are geographically isolated or have families with challenging and complex needs. The program is targeted at those families that need this care the most, with a focus on quality early childhood education and care provided by qualified educators. To better support families, the IHC service type is delivered through a network of IHC support agencies that advocate for families, particularly those with complex and challenging circumstances, and help them find care that meets their needs. IHC support agencies are the primary conduit between families and services, while providing assurance of the care type and supporting national consistency in program delivery.