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Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment

Australian Government · Australia

The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment provides funding to approved early childhood education and care service providers to support wage increases and on-costs for eligible workers over a two-year period.

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Official Grant Page

Deadline

30 Sept 2026

Duration

up to 2 years

Location

Australia

Who Can Apply

Must be an approved Child Care Subsidy (CCS) provider. Must operate Centre Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services. Must limit fee growth by a set percentage from August 2024. Must agree to pass funding on to eligible workers through increased wages and use a workplace instrument that meets grant conditions.
To be eligible for the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment, providers must be approved for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and operate Centre Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services. Providers must engage workers through a workplace instrument that meets the grant conditions, limit fee growth by a set percentage from August 2024, and agree to pass funding on to all eligible workers through increased wages. Funding is intended to support a 10% wage increase for all eligible staff in the first year, an additional 5% wage increase for all eligible staff in the second year, and at least an additional 20% funding to contribute towards eligible on-costs, calculated against base funding.

What's Funded

Payments to ECEC service providers to fund wage increases for eligible staff and contribute to eligible on-costs, in return for limiting fee growth and passing funding on through higher wages.

Expected Outcomes

Improved retention of early childhood education and care workers through higher wages, support for service sustainability, and moderated fee growth for families.

Free Eligibility Check

Answer a few quick questions to find out if you qualify for this grant. Takes about 2 minutes.

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Key Information

Applicant Types

companynon_profitlocal_governmentother

Stage

any

Funding Purposes

employmentother

Keywords

early childhood educationchild careECECworker retentionwage subsidyemploymenteducation and careCentre Based Day Care

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment?

The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment is a business grant offered by Australian Government in Australia. The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment provides funding to approved early childhood education and care service providers to support wage increases and on-costs for eligible workers over a two-year period.

Who is eligible for the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment?

Must be an approved Child Care Subsidy (CCS) provider. Must operate Centre Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services. Must limit fee growth by a set percentage from August 2024. Must agree to pass funding on to eligible workers through increased wages and use a workplace instrument that meets grant conditions.

When does the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment close?

Applications close on 30 Sept 2026.

What activities are funded?

Payments to ECEC service providers to fund wage increases for eligible staff and contribute to eligible on-costs, in return for limiting fee growth and passing funding on through higher wages.

How do I apply for the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment?

Start by checking your eligibility using the free Beta Docs eligibility checker. If eligible, Beta Docs' AI-powered platform can help you draft, review, and refine your application to maximise your chances of success.

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