People working in permitted industries are set to maintain access to kinder and childcare for their children under Stage Four restrictions, regardless of whether they’re working onsite or from home.
In a statement, Premier Daniel Andrews said only the children of permitted workers and vulnerable kids would be able to access childcare and kinder.
“If you or someone else in your household can look after your kids at home, you must continue to do that, but we recognise that for many frontline workers and others playing important roles in our pandemic response, it’s just not possible,” Mr Andrews said.
“And while keeping movement down across our community is vital to slowing the spread of coronavirus, we also need permitted workers to be able to keep doing these vital roles,” he said.
Mr Andrews said a new Access to Childcare Permit would sit alongside the Permitted Worker Scheme announced earlier this week.
“The Permitted Worker Scheme and Access to Childcare Permit will assist childcare centres and kinders to verify that a permitted worker is eligible to access childcare, whether they are working onsite or from home,” he said.
He said under the Permitted Worker Scheme, which came into effect yesterday, employers who were permitted to have their staff onsite were required to issue a worker permit to their employees.
“But in recognition of the realities of trying to undertake critical work functions while supervising small children, for the purposes of accessing childcare or kinder, a permitted worker will also include someone working from home,” Mr Andrews said.
