Petition to Exempt Certified Sick Days from the Free Childcare Scheme Absence Allowance

Petition addressed to: Jobsplus

The current Free Childcare Scheme caps the number of absence days, including days missed due to genuine illness. This places parents of young children in an extremely difficult position. Children under the age of three naturally have developing immune systems and are more susceptible to frequent illnesses as they build immunity. The limitation on sick days creates pressure on parents and even paediatricians to minimise the number of days children remain at home recovering, as families risk exhausting their absence allowance and becoming responsible for paying childcare fees.

This situation has wider implications for the entire childcare sector. Children who return to childcare before they have fully recovered may spread infections to other children and educators, increasing illness across centres and compromising everyone's wellbeing. Most importantly, children's health and recovery should never be influenced by financial concerns or attendance limits. Additionally, many childcare providers choose not to invoice parents once their absence allowance has been exceeded because they understand the financial and emotional burden this creates for families. However, absorbing these costs places further pressure on childcare providers and ultimately impacts the long-term sustainability and quality of childcare services. A system designed to support families should not inadvertently compromise children's wellbeing, educator health, or the ability of childcare centres to continue delivering high-quality care.