20 Fees and charging Bond payment Families are required to pay a bond equivalent to four weeks’ full fees on confirmation of enrolment. The bond is payable before a child starts care. In special circumstances we can organise a payment plan. SDN reserves the right to offer the place to another family if the bond payment has not been received before the start of care. In no circumstances is the bond able to be used to offset overdue fees for a child continuing in care. Fees payment Fees are payable in advance by direct debit from bank or credit card accounts, or by Centrepay deduction. For the safety of staff and children in centres, and to avoid loss, SDN does not accept cash payments. Fees are payable for all booked days of care. This includes absences for any reason including family leave, and illness. Fees accounts must be paid up to date. Continuation of a child’s place at any SDN centre will be contingent on the family’s account being up to date. Child Care Subsidy A government funded Child Care Subsidy is available to support you to pay you to pay for your child’s fees. The amount of Child Care Subsidy you can receive depends in your circumstances. Depending on your family income, you can get 20% to 85% of your child care fees reimbursed, and you can receive up to 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. Families are entitled to 42 absences for each child per financial year, and may be entitled to additional absence days in certain circumstances. Evidence will be required to claim the additional absence days. To find out if your family meets the eligibility requirements for the Child Care Subsidy, contact the Department of Human Services on 13 61 50.