Stay informed

• SES - publishes current warnings and provides information and advice about staying safe in a flood.

• Bureau of Meteorology website - for up-to-date information about the weather in your area.

• Flood warning system - the Bureau has set up a flood watch for your local area

Government assistance

• Service NSW Storm and Flood customer care and Storm and flood assistance for businesses - access resources if you have been impacted by flooding.
• The NSW Disaster Assistance Finder Tool - get a personalised list of available programs and services you can apply for.
• NSW Government support - for businesses or not-for-profits affected by severe weather and flooding in NSW.
• The Community Child Care Fund – Special Circumstances grants to help services stay open.
  

Streamlined applications and notification processes

If you’ve been impacted by floods and need to temporarily relocate, apply for a waiver or increase maximum number of children in your service, find more information via Get regulatory support webpage.

Services are required to notify the department of any closures, incidents, evacuations, or damage to premises. You can notify through NQAITS by completing the I01: Notification of Incident.

While the regulations require this to be done within 24 hours, services should ensure the safety of children, educators and staff as a first priority.

If you are having issues with accessing NQAITS, please contact our team by phone 1800 619 113 or email ececd@det.nsw.edu.au.

If you have lost paper or electronic records from your service due to the floods and these are not retrievable, please advise us as part of your notification.

Funding arrangements

Family support

Child care subsidy

The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment has declared several regions of NSW as a Local Area Emergency for the ECE sector.

If your service is located in a region outlined on their Local Area Emergencies webpage, services and families can access more allowable absences and gap free waivers, and there is emergency support available.

You can find important information about this on their Help in an emergency webpage.

Families that are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy may also be eligible for the Temporary Financial Hardship Subsidy.

Mental health and wellbeing resources

• Service NSW - offers a range of free mental health support including 24/7 telephone services.
• Disaster recovery page - access a range of mental health and wellbeing resources for children, educators, families and the community.
• Emerging Minds Community Trauma Toolkit – offers support for adults and children before, during and after a disaster or traumatic event.

Northern Rivers and North Coast Converge International Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

The Department of Education has partnered with Converge International to offer wellbeing support to ECEC services impacted by floods.

All staff working in early childhood education and care services in the Northern Rivers and North Coast regions can immediately request personal support through Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Supporting You by contacting Converge directly on 1800 060 650 or booking via their website.

Clinical consultants from Converge International are on the ground in Northern NSW to provide staff working in early childhood education and care services with face-to-face wellbeing support.

Counselling support sessions 2022

Clinical consultants will provide personalised 1:1 sessions, including post-incident psychology and counselling support.

You can book a session online via the Converge website.

Communication on NSW floods