Defence will be providing greater support for Army families with a set of new initiatives from DPE.

Spouse Professional Fees and Courses and Welcome to the ADF packages will join the range of programs and services already in place to support ADF families run by the Defence Community Organisation.

Emergency Childcare will be introducted and the Family Support Funding Program is continuing to help with the impact of moving.

The Spouse Professional Fees and Courses initiative will provide funding to pay for professional re-registration fees incurred because of a posting to a different state or territory, as well as related short upgrade or pre-registration training expenses.

Recruits and their families will benefit from Welcome to the ADF Family - Partners in Defence.

The program, to be trialled in Brisbane next year, will provide information to recruits and their spouses or partners about life in the ADF and a range of support mechanisms available to them.

Emergency Childcare will provide financial assistance where a member is recalled for duty at less than 48 hours notice, or in compassionate leave circumstances when the member's spouse or the usual caregiver is not available to provide childcare.

All children under the age of 18 will be covered by the Emergency Childcare program.

This assistance is for expenses that are additional to any childcare expenses the member would normally have incurred.

There is no limit to the number of times a member can access this benefit - providing the circumstances fall within the policy.

The Defence Tax Office says that reimbursement for emergency childcare would be included for reporting as a fringe benefit on a member's payment summary if the total of all fringe benefits received exceed $1000. Emergency childcare reimbursement would normally attract payment of FBT by Defence.

These initiatives are part of the ongoing enhancments to personnel matters by the Defence People Committee.

Funding will be drawn from the $100m allocated to address high priority personnel issues.

The Defence Family Support Funding Program (FSFP), provides grants for Defence families to undertake support projects to overcome the impacts of mobility. The objectives of the program are to:

n Provide grants to groups of Defence families to enable them to work together on a project or program that assists them in their area;

n Support self-help projects that will assist a significant number of Defence families; and

n Assist not-for-profit groups with a project or service that specifically targets Defence families.

For example, FSFP provides funds to aid the operation of Defence community/neighbourhood houses, local Defence community newsletters, craft groups, spouse support groups, skills courses and welcome groups.

A new FSFP on-line application form is soon to be available on the DCO website. This is being introduced to replace the previous electronic application process. The on-line application form and guidelines will be available by following the grants link at www.dco.dod.gov.au

To ensure that all application details are securely protected, an SSL lock similar to that used by banks and financial institutions has been built into the FSFP OnLine site.

For further information on the FSFP and ideas on grant projects, please contact your local DCO office or FIND on 1800 020 031.