✦ Plain-English Summary

Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Improving Assistance for Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Families) 2020

What it does

This law makes changes to child care subsidies and family assistance payments, particularly through something called the Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS). It expands who can access emergency and subsidised child care help, especially for vulnerable families dealing with crises like domestic violence, homelessness, or parental illness. The bill also fixes technical issues in how child care payments are calculated and reviewed.

Why it matters

Families in crisis often can't afford child care while they're getting back on their feet—which makes it harder to work, seek help, or stabilise their situation. This law removes barriers so vulnerable families can actually access the support that's supposed to help them. It also gives families better rights to challenge child care subsidy decisions if they think they've been wrongly denied.

Key details

• ACCS (child wellbeing) kicks in from 1 July 2021 — the main changes to eligibility and support happen on this date
• Who it helps — families experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, parental death/hospitalisation, family breakdown, or joblessness can now more easily access emergency child care subsidies
• Review rights — families can challenge child care subsidy decisions more easily, starting from the first pay period after the law receives Royal Assent

Official Description

Amends the: A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 to specify that a provider is eligible for Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (child wellbeing) in respect of certain prescribed classes of children, such as foster children; A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 to extend the backdating of ACCS (child wellbeing) certificates and determinations from the current period of 28 days to up to 13 weeks in prescribed exceptional circumstances; extend the period from 13 weeks to up to 12 months in which an ACCS (wellbeing) determination can be made for certain prescribed classes of children, such as children on a long term child protection order, including those in foster care; and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 to: correct minor technical drafting errors; and modify how child care subsidy (CCS) entitlements are reviewed when an individual, who is a member of a couple for some but not all of the CCS fortnights in an income year, meets the CCS reconciliation conditions.

Committee Referrals

Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.