THE END of free childcare promises a return to 'normal' for local businesses, with one Tamworth provider claiming it now feels comfortable to enrol more new kids.
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From Monday, parents had to dip into their pockets to pay for childcare for the first time since April 6, when the government handed down a relief package to try and support families and the industry through the COVID-19 crisis.
Tamworth Family Daycare service manager Joanne Spinner said the organisation had taken on very limited new enrollments during the past few months as a result.
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Ms Spinner said Tamworth Family Daycare is not expecting a drop in numbers with the end of free care - in fact, the demand is still there and she is hoping to enrol more kids.
While providers couldn't bill parents under the package, they were only receiving a portion of normal government subsidies.
"We're out of pocket, because we were not allowed to charge families for their childcare," Ms Spinner said.
She said her team and the eligible educators working for the company were on JobKeeper payments, which helped tie them over during the period of free childcare.
"Business will continue as it was pre-COVID now ... everything goes back to normal after this," she said.
Milestones Early Learning Tamworth CBD centre manager Sarah Taylor said although changes to hygiene will be in place long-term due to COVID-19, she felt like the transition promised a bit of normality again.
"We are quite a large company, so free childcare means we haven't been able to make much revenue, but we've made it work," she said.
"It's going to be a bit up and down for the next few weeks as we settle in with the fees again and things move back to normal."
She said parents had been understanding of the situation and the organisation is working with families who may be struggling to put together payment plans or apply for extra help.
The federal government has transition measures in place to help parents and childcare companies as they go back to the Childcare Subsidy system from pre-COVID.
Ekidna Tamworth School of Early Learning director Sarah Morrison said she believes the relief package had been helpful for families during the pandemic, but had come at a cost.
"The impact of the free childcare was a struggle, trying to maintain regular and ongoing costs with less income, whilst still maintaining the same level of care and professionalism," she said.
"Parents have resumed paying their childcare fees from this week, which means we are financially stable and able to continue to remain open."
The transition back to normal operations also means JobKeeper payments to childcare workers will be phased out.