Terms and Conditions for applications by parents and guardians for a before and after school care voucher.
1. Application and acceptance of Terms and Conditions
1.1 The Department of Education and Service NSW are delivering the Before and After School Care Voucher Scheme. As part of the Scheme, parents and guardians who have a child enrolled in primary school can apply to receive a $500 voucher that can be applied to reduce the out-of-pocket costs associated with before and after school care.
1.2 These Terms and Conditions apply to the application for and use of a BASC Voucher under the Scheme. By submitting an application for a BASC Voucher you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
2. Definitions and interpretation
2.1 In these Terms and Conditions, unless the context otherwise requires:
- “Approved Early Childhood Education Provider” means a business that has been approved and registered by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority.
- “before and after school care” includes vacation care.
- “customer” means a parent or guardian who has been issued with a BASC Voucher.
- “DoE” means the Crown in the right of the State of NSW acting through the Department of Education.
- “BASC Voucher” means a voucher issued by Service NSW to eligible parents or guardians who have a child enrolled in a primary school, for use to reduce the out-of-pocket costs associated with before and after school care.
- “Registered Provider” means an Approved Early Childhood Education Provider that has been registered by Service NSW to participate in the Scheme and whose registration has not been suspended or cancelled.
- “Scheme” means the before and after school care voucher scheme administered by the Department of Education and Service NSW that involves the provision of BASC Vouchers, registration of businesses, and payment to businesses for redeemed BASC Vouchers.
- "Service NSW” means the Crown in the right of the State of NSW acting through Service NSW.
- “Terms and Conditions” means these Terms and Conditions for applications by parents and guardians for a BASC Voucher.
2.2 Unless the context requires otherwise, the singular includes the plural and vice versa, reference to a gender includes all genders, reference to “person” includes a natural person, company, body corporate or other form of legal entity, and reference to “including” and “includes” and “for example” is to read as if followed by “without limitation”.
2.3 If a word or phrase is given a defined meaning, any other part of speech or grammatical form of that word or phrase has a corresponding meaning.
3. Eligibility Criteria
3.1 To be eligible to receive a BASC Voucher for a particular child, you must:
(a) be a person who is the parent or guardian of that child, and that child must:
(i) be between the ages of 4 to 13 years old (inclusive)
(ii) be a resident of New South Wales;
(iii) be enrolled in a primary school; and
(iv) hold, or you must hold, a valid Medicare card with the child’s name on it; and
(b) provide at least two identity documents to be verified by the Document Verification Service.
3.2 Notwithstanding any other provision in these Terms and Conditions, DoE and/or Service NSW may require additional information or clarification from you or any other person, before determining whether the eligibility criteria in clause 3.1 have been satisfied and whether to approve your application for a BASC Voucher.
4. Vouchers
4.1 You may apply for a BASC Voucher using your MyServiceNSW Account or you may attend in person at a Service NSW Centre to make an over-the-counter application.
4.2 You will be required to provide the details of the school attended by your child and the Registered Provider that provides before and after school care to your child.
4.3 If Service NSW and/or DoE is satisfied that you meet the eligibility criteria set out in clause 3.1, Service NSW will issue you with a BASC Voucher that:
(a) names the child identified in your application;
(b) has a unique voucher code;
(c) states a monetary value of $500; and
(d) states an expiry date of 31 January 2023.
4.4 You may only apply for one BASC Voucher per child. If you have more than one child, you must make a separate application for each child. Only one parent or guardian may apply for each child.
4.5 Applications for a BASC Voucher must be made by 31 January 2023.
5. Voucher redemption
5.1 A BASC Voucher can be used to pay a Registered Provider for part or all of the fees for the child named on the voucher. However, where you are in receipt of a Child Care Subsidy, the voucher must only be used for the out-of-pocket gap fee expenses that you are responsible for, after the Child Care Subsidy has been applied.
5.2 To redeem a BASC Voucher you must give the voucher code to the Registered Provider that provides before and after school care to your child on receipt of a valid invoice.
5.3 A BASC Voucher code must be presented to a Registered Provider on or before 31 January 2023. However, the BASC Voucher can be applied to before and after school care services delivered between 28 February 2022 and 30 June 2023 (inclusive).
5.4
(a) Subject to clause 5.4(b), BASC Vouchers are not transferable and can only be used with a single Registered Provider and must only be used for the child named on the voucher.
(b) Where a service transfers from one Registered Provider to another, any remaining credit on the BASC Voucher can be transferred to the new Registered Provider.
5.5 BASC Vouchers are not exchangeable or redeemable for cash.
5.6 A BASC Voucher will expire if it is not redeemed with a Registered Provider by 31 January 2023.
6. Your obligations
6.1 By applying for a BASC Voucher, you declare:
(a) that you meet the eligibility criteria set out in clause 3.1(a);
(b) that all the information you provide in the application process is true and correct; and
(c) that you will comply with these Terms and Conditions.
7. Suspension or termination of the Scheme
7.1 Notwithstanding any other provision in these Terms and Conditions, DoE and/or Service NSW may, in their absolute discretion, suspend or terminate the entirety or any part of the Scheme at any time and for any reason, including suspending or terminating the validity of individual BASC Vouchers.
7.2 Any action taken to suspend or terminate the Scheme will be notified on the Service NSW website.
8. Limitation of liability
8.1 To the extent permitted by law, DoE and Service NSW (including their officers, employees and agents) will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss or damage or for any death, illness, personal injury, financial loss or property damage however caused (including by negligence) which may be suffered or incurred by a business, customer or any other person arising directly or indirectly out of or in any way connected with the Scheme.
9. Contact
9.1 Any enquiry or complaint is to be directed to Service NSW via Service NSW Centres or by calling 13 77 88.
10. Variation
10.1 DoE and/or Service NSW may amend, vary, delete or supplement these Terms and Conditions at any time by publishing on the Service NSW website.
11. Waiver
11.1 No failure or delay by DoE or Service NSW in exercising any right under these Terms and Conditions will operate as a waiver of those rights.
12. Severability
12.1 If any part of these Terms and Conditions is prohibited, void, voidable, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, then that part is severed from these Terms and Conditions but without affecting the continued operation of the remaining Terms and Conditions.
13. Governing Law
13.1 These Terms and Conditions are governed by, and must be interpreted in accordance with, the laws in force in New South Wales. You, DoE and Service NSW submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales and any court competent to hear appeals from those courts.
14. Survival
14.1 Clause 8 contains continuing obligations and will survive termination of these Terms and Conditions.