1.1.A.17 Additional absences (CCS, ACCS)

Definition

For the purpose of CCS and ACCS, additional absences are absences for specified reasons when a child is absent on a day on which care would otherwise have been provided if the child was not absent, and the family is charged for that care. Additional absences can only be claimed when a family has used all of their initial 42 absence days (1.1.A.05). CCS and ACCS is payable for all additional absences and there is no limit on the number of additional absence days a recipient may claim, providing the absence days are taken for specified reasons and supporting documentation, where required, is provided.

Specified reasons

Specified reasons are:

• illness (with a medical certificate), or another absence due to sickness of the child, a carer, carer's partner (1.1.P.30) or sibling, supported by medical certificates
• temporary closure of a school or pupil-free days
• up to 28 days following a period of local emergency where the service is closed or the child is unable to travel to the service due to the emergency
• shared care arrangements due to a court order, parenting plan (1.1.P.20) or parenting order (1.1.P.19), where a copy has been provided to the approved child care service (1.1.A.90)
• the child is not immunised, the absence occurs during immunisation grace period and a medical practitioner (1.1.M.40) certifies exposure to the infectious disease would pose a health risk to the child (go to the Department of Health and Aged Care's Immunisations for access to family assistance benefits and early childhood services page)
• attendance at preschool.