Bathurst

Vacation care in Bathurst: what sets the price

Vacation care does not have one NSW price. Each service sets its own daily fee, and what you actually pay depends on whether your family is eligible for Child Care Subsidy. That makes the useful question "where do I look the fee up, and what will the subsidy take off?"

Look the fee up, then estimate the subsidy

StartingBlocks, run by the national regulator ACECQA, lets you search outside school hours care services, including vacation care, and compare their fees and vacancies. It also has a Child Care Subsidy calculator that estimates your out-of-pocket cost. Do this before you book, so you compare what you will actually pay rather than the advertised fee.

What is on offer in Bathurst

• Gowrie NSW, Bathurst West. This service takes children from other schools, not only its host school, and it is approved for Child Care Subsidy. Its program has moved between venues: for one recent autumn break it ran from Kelso Public School. Check the venue each time you book. Booked sessions are paid in advance through its app (Gowrie NSW).
• Council services for younger children. Bathurst Regional Council runs Scallywags Long Day Care and Preschool and Bathurst Family Day Care (Bathurst Regional Council). These are useful if a younger sibling needs care over the same break.
• Free days for older children. Bathurst Regional Council has received NSW Government Holiday Break funding in past rounds. The program funds free holiday activities for young people in regional NSW (NSW Government).

The breaks to plan for

Government school dates — individual schools can vary by a few days. · source

Single days instead of a whole week

Not every holiday day needs care. AroundSchools lists 13 kids' activity providers in the Bathurst region, including swim schools, hockey, Auskick, tennis, karate and tutoring. A few of those can cover part of a break without booking a full week of care.

Next steps

• Compare vacation care fees and vacancies on StartingBlocks.
• Check Gowrie's Bathurst West vacation care page for the next program and venue.
• Open the activities listed in Bathurst for single-day options.
• Read the NSW school holiday guide.