Finding the right child care centre is now faster and easier following the launch of a new service that provides parents with all the information they need about child care in their area.
Child Care Finder enables families to see at a glance where vacancies exist, as well as information about fees, opening hours, whether extras such as meals or nappies are provided and how providers rate against the National Quality Framework.
The new service replaces My Child website and features the big improvements that enable parents to search for a provider using specific criteria such as the distance from their home or a price range – a similar experience to using a hotel-booking site.
From next year, parents will also be able to receive an alert when a vacancy that meets their criteria becomes available, further reducing time and effort.
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said busy parents would welcome the new service.
"A one-stop-shop where the information is easy to use and easy to understand will help parents make informed choices about where to send their kids for child care," Mr Tehan said.
"The website is part of our Government’s reforms to childcare that are making the system fairer, stronger and more flexible, supporting working families as they balance work and family life."
Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation Michael Keenan said childcare was the first of many services that will undergo significant digital makeovers in the period ahead to improve convenience for those who rely on them.
"As part of delivering the Digital Transformation Strategy, the Department of Human Services has developed Service Connect, a new whole-of-government platform that will connect Australians with trusted service providers," Mr Keenan said.
"Child Care Finder is the first service to be hosted on Service Connect, but in the future, Australians will use the platform to access all of the support services they need, covering the entire journey of life events from cradle to grave."
Member for Bennelong John Alexander said residents of his electorate stood to benefit greatly from the Coalition’s digital transformation agenda.
"People regularly tell me that they want the same convenience and simplicity from their government services that they already enjoy from the private sector, such as their banks, retailers and airlines," Mr Alexander said.
"Services such as the new Child Care Finder are delivering those improvements and are helping to make life easier for time poor Australian families. That is what digital transformation is truly about."
