The Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) Establishment Grants Initiative is an $81.6 million commitment to fund OSHC services at government schools. OSHC supports families and promotes re-engagement within the workforce. This Initiative has supported over 300 government schools.
Find out more about the Grants Initiative in this video.
Applications for Round 4 of this Initiative will open in 2023. $7.5 million in grants are available, with schools able to apply for up to $75,000.
More funding is available for applications involving more than one school or campus, special schools, or schools located in outer regional or remote parts of Victoria.
Schools may use grant funding for any of the following:
- Establish a new OSHC service
- Provide transport to an existing OSHC service
- Expand an existing OSHC service
More information on the OSHC Establishment Grants Initiative is available on Policy and Advisory Library. You can also contact the OSHC Establishment Grants team by email: oshc.central@education.vic.gov.au.
The videos below show how four schools used Grant funding to provide OSHC to their community.
Nyora Primary School
Nyora Primary School is a small school in a regional community located in Inner Gippsland. Karen (Principal) and Wendy (OSHC Coordinator) have used grant funding to run the service through their school council.
The school has built and marketed the service to the community and engaged local business and community involvement. The service is valuable to the community and is growing towards becoming viable in the long term.
Napoleons Primary School
Napoleons Primary School is a small school in the Central Highlands area. The school opted to use the Establishment Grant funding to engage a third party OSHC provider to deliver the service.
The funding has enabled the school to get the service up and running without the need to be viable for the provider from the start. The service offers after school care and vacation care to the local community.
Families use the service to support with work and training commitments and social engagement for children.
Maryborough Education Centre
Maryborough Education Centre is a large regional school in Loddon Campaspe area. The Grants Initiative has funded both new services and transport solutions in the area. Maryborough is the site of the main new service.
Carisbrook and Timor Primary Schools are funded to access this service for after school care. Talbot and Dunolly Primary Schools also access the Maryborough service for vacation care.
Offering one service in the area rather than several small ones means the service is likely to be more viable and of a higher quality.
Marnebek School Cranbourne
Marnebek School is a special school located in Southern Melbourne. The school has used the funding to run a single program for students at both its campuses. This service allows children to be cared for in a familiar environment.
The school engaged a third party provider to operate their service and ensures consistent and regular communication between the service’s educators. The close integration between the school and service has benefited the students who attend the service as well as their families.
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