By Lt-Col David Tyler

DEFENCE has increased the entitlement for re-imbursement of additional childcare costs when parents are required to work back or are called away with little warning.

The increase recognises raising children is demanding at the best of times and serving your country can sometimes provide extra challenges due to work commitments and the occasional need to work late or away from home at short notice.

Members who are given less than 48 hours notice of the requirement to work extra hours or travel away from home, can now claim a refund if they need to incur additional childcare costs in the first 72 hours of their absence.

The previous entitlement was for the first 48 hours only and was not available to members working late in their normal work location.

Maj Jill Jackson, DGPers-Army, said that in order to make best use of the scheme, members needed to find a licensed child care provider who was willing to provide care for children at short notice, including evenings and weekends.

“It is usually too late to start looking for licensed child care when you need to work late or travel at short notice, so members need to have a plan ready to go beforehand,” she said.

“This assistance is for the care of children up until the age of 18 who normally live with you and also applies to members who take compassionate travel.”

The changes were part of a constant process of reviewing policies that affected Army members and their families.

“The revised entitlement responds to the normal activities of service families.

“For example, if you are required to work late and your partner is also working or perhaps interstate visiting family, you have an entitlement to reimbursement of your additional childcare costs. This should reduce pressure on partners, whose choices can be restricted by the demands of Army life, and also assist single parents to meet their service obligations.”

Maj Jackson said Defence also acknowledged that licensed child carers were not always easy to find, and that the Defence Community Organisation was currently looking at ways of providing assistance to partners who want to work as family day carers.

She said the Defence Spouse Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), which assists partners with re-registration, short courses, computer access, job search websites and work readiness training, was also being redeveloped and a new program should be launched in the second half of this year.

The Pay and Conditions Manual (PACMAN) Chapter 4, Part 4, para 4.3.2 provides further information on entitlement to Emergency Childcare Assistance.

n Inquiries about Defence spouse employment with family daycare schemes can be made to the Defence Child Care Program on (02) 6266 8415.

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