More than 190,000 vouchers, worth $500 each, have been claimed by families for Before and After School Care (BASC) since the NSW Government program was announced in February.
The $155 million BASC Voucher Program is providing one voucher per child to every family with children aged 4-13 years attending a NSW school.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said he was pleased with the quick uptake, which reflected confidence in kids returning to the classroom and parents to the workforce.
“It’s been a tough few years for families and they’re keen to see a return to normality,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Measures like these BASC vouchers will help more families to get their lives back on track, easing financial pressure on the household and supporting parents returning to work.”
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said that the voucher program is helping working families who have done it tough through two years of the pandemic.
“These vouchers have already helped thousands of families use their local BASC services,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The vouchers are part of the NSW Government’s $235 million investment to expand access to BASC services for families.”
More than 860 BASC services are currently operating across NSW. This is an increase of 153 services and 14,442 places since 2019. A further 38 tenders to provide services are currently open.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the application and redemption process for BASC vouchers was an example of how smart, modern government service delivery can save working families time and money.
“These $500 vouchers can be accessed with just a few clicks through your Service NSW app. And if you don’t have access to a phone you will always be able to complete the transaction by visiting a Service Centre
