Save OOSH: P&C Federation Hosts Webinar on Change to Tender Policy

The P&C Transition Grant

This grant is backtracking on the commitment made by School Infrastructure to provide funding for the OOSH Services impacted to cover costs of the transition.

This grant that is materially flawed:

a) The grant is for those services that have already “transitioned”. This grant does not support those services that are most in need of financial support to navigate the process. Instead, only P&Cs will be eligible to receive the grant money after those Services that could already afford to move to the P&C model have funded the process.
b) The limited pool of funding that will be assessed “in order of receipt” places an artificial timeframe and unreasonable sense of urgency for OOSHs and P&Cs to navigate a change that, by virtue of its complexities and risks, should not be rushed.
c) This grant provides a maximum of $10,000 per service that has completed the transition. By virtue of the fact that an OOSH will close down after transition, this grant is only open to P&Cs (who will be the new provider following the transition). $10,000 will not cover the costs associated with the required professional advice nor wind-up of the OOSH.
d) There are approximately 146 parent-managed OOSHs. This grant does not even cover 1/3 of the impacted Services.

Families have paid fees to their Not-for-Profit OOSH Services with the expectation that those fees would be spent on things that benefit their children (such as resources, activities and quality staff). Instead, by failing to adequately fund the transition process the Department of Education is ripping away money from parents and children to fund a complicated legal processes.

Network is here to support you through the changes ahead. We know you’re exhausted, burned out, and trying to support not only children and families, but the volunteers who manage your OOSHs. Our advice to you is do not act now. You have time, and Network is advocating strongly behind the scenes to secure better outcomes for you as an individual Service and for the OOSH Sector as a whole. Whatever happens. we will be here to help you.