Pursuant to section 124 (1) (d) of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister of Social Services and Employment establishes and approves the following amendment to the Childcare Assistance Welfare Programme (as established and approved on 19 December 1998).
Dated at Wellington this 21st day of March 2003.
STEVE MAHAREY, Minister of Social Services and Employment.
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A m e n d m e n t
1. Title-(1) This amendment is the Childcare Assistance Amendment 2003.
(2) In this amendment, the Childcare Assistance Welfare Programme is called "the programme".
2. Commencement-This amendment comes into effect on 1 April 2003.
3. General provisions-Clause 4 of the programme is amended:
(a) by inserting in subclause (1), after the word "actual", the word "hourly":
(b) by inserting, after subclause (1), the following subclause:
"(1A) For the purposes of subclause (1), where a flat fee on a periodic basis instead of hourly fee is charged for an eligible child's attendance or for keeping the child's place open at a pre-school facility or OSCAR programme, the actual fee must be calculated as an hourly fee by dividing the flat fee by the number of hours that the child is enrolled to attend the facility or programme in the period for which the fee is charged."
4. Eligibility for childcare subsidy-Clause 8 (4) of the programme is amended by omitting the words "or subclause (6) (b) (i)".
5. Payment and rates of OSCAR subsidy-Clause 12 of the programme is amended by revoking subclause (4), and substituting the following subclause:
"(4) An OSCAR subsidy may be paid directly to the service providing the OSCAR programme."
6. Increasing rates of childcare and OSCAR subsidies-(1) Each provision of Schedule 1 of the programme listed in the first column of Schedule 1 is amended by omitting every expression set out opposite to it in the second column, and substituting in each case the expression set out opposite to it in the third column.
(2) Each provision of Schedule 2 of the programme listed in the first column of Schedule 2 is amended by omitting every expression set out opposite to it in the second column and substituting in each case the expression set out opposite to it in the third column.
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Schedule 1-Clause 6 (1)
Amendments to rates of childcare subsidy on and after
1 April 2003
Provisionsamended Expressionsomitted$ Expressions substituted$
Clause 1 (a) 2.47 2.54
Clause 1 (b) 1.72 1.77
Clause 1 (c) 0.95 0.98
Clause 2 (a) 2.47 2.54
Clause 2 (b) 1.72 1.77
Clause 2 (c) 0.95 0.98
Clause 3 (a) 2.47 2.54
Clause 3 (b) 1.72 1.77
Clause 3 (c) 0.95 0.98
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Schedule 2-Clause 6 (2)
Amendments to rates of OSCAR subsidy on and after
1 April 2003
Provisionsamended Expressionsomitted$ Expressions substituted$
Clause 1 (a) 1.91 1.96
Clause 1 (b) 1.33 1.37
Clause 1 (c) 0.74 0.76
Clause 2 (a) 1.91 1.96
Clause 2 (b) 1.33 1.37
Clause 2 (c) 0.74 0.76
Clause 3 (a) 1.91 1.96
Clause 3 (b) 1.33 1.37
Clause 3 (c) 0.74 0.76
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Explanatory Note
This note is not part of the amendment, but is intended to explain its general effect.
Clause 3 of this amendment to the Childcare Assistance Welfare Programme clarifies that the maximum rate of a subsidy is based on an hourly fee, and to provide for calculation of an hourly fee where a childcare facility or OSCAR programme charges a periodical, flat fee instead of an hourly fee.
Clause 4 omits a reference to a revoked provision of the programme.
Clause 5 provides that OSCAR subsidies are payable to the service providing the OSCAR programme.
Clause 6 amends the rates of childcare subsidy and OSCAR subsidy to take into account a CPI increase of 2.72%.
The amendment comes into effect on 1 April 2003.