The Coordinator-General for Drought has been touring Australia to meet with and listen to individuals, families and communities impacted by the current drought. Education has emerged as a key issue, particularly for families in isolated and remote locations and those that are suffering financial hardship due to the drought.

Today the Coordinator-General brought together the government, independent and Catholic education sectors and key not-for-profit representatives to identify the education issues impacting drought-affected communities, pinpoint any gaps in assistance and coordinate efforts to best support families in drought-affected regions to educate their children.

The Coordinator-General for Drought will meet with the education sector regularly to progress this important issue. 

There’s a range of Australian Government financial support available to help with education and child care costs, including:

Help with boarding school fees

The Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme supports parents and carers of children who cannot go to a local government school because of geographic isolation, disability or special needs. The AIC helps isolated families of primary, secondary and certain tertiary students with additional educational costs incurred as a result of their geographical isolation or because the student has special needs.

For more information and to apply visit https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/assistance-for-isolated-children-scheme

Childcare support and in home care

The Child Care Subsidy provides a means-tested subsidy up to 85 per cent of the child care fee charged for the care of children 13 or younger who are not attending secondary school.

For more information and to apply visit https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy 

The In Home Care program helps support families’ workforce participation and child care requirements where other options are not available or appropriate, particularly in rural and remote areas. 

For more information visit https://www.education.gov.au/in-home-care

Farm Household Allowance and supplement

Farm Household Allowance (FHA) provides up to four cumulative years of support for eligible farmers and farmer’s partners experiencing financial hardship. The allowance is designed to help recipients meet basic household needs.

Two lump sum payments are now available to farmers who qualify for the Farm Household Allowance (FHA).

For more information visit www.agriculture.gov.au/fha, call the Farmer Assistance Hotline on 132 316 or contact a rural financial counsellor on 1800 686 175 to assess your eligibility. To apply, visit https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/farm-household-allowance or contact a financial counsellor to help you with your application.

Find out more about the Coordinator-General for Drought and the Joint Agency Drought Taskforce.