Yes, NDIS can fund before and after school care, but whether it applies to your child’s plan depends on a few things. This article explains how the funding works, which budget categories apply, and what to look for in your child’s NDIS plan.
If you’re already across how NDIS funding categories work, skip ahead to the section on what before and after school care actually looks like when it’s NDIS supported.
Why NDIS school age supports matter for families
Before and after school care is a practical necessity for most working families. When your child has a disability or developmental support needs, finding care that can actually support them well is a different challenge.
Regular before and after school care services can be great, many are inclusive and do their best. But they’re not always equipped to support a child who needs personalised assistance, help with personal care, support with transitions, or a lower ratio of staff to children.
NDIS-funded before and after school care fills that gap. It means your child gets the support they need from workers trained to provide it, and it’s covered through their plan rather than coming out of your pocket.
Which NDIS budget category covers before and after school care?
Before and after school care can be funded through two main categories in your child’s NDIS plan:
Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation This covers supports that help your child participate in community activities, including programs and care settings outside of school. Before and after school care that focuses on social participation and community involvement is often funded here.
Assistance with Daily Life If your child needs personal care support during their before or after school care hours, help with meals, hygiene, or personal routines, this may draw on their Assistance with Daily Life budget instead.
In some cases, a combination of both applies depending on the nature of the support. Your support coordinator or plan manager can help you identify exactly which line items are relevant to your child’s plan.
Does my child’s NDIS plan have to specifically mention before and after school care?
Not always. NDIS plans aren’t always written with the specific service named in the document. What matters is whether the support type is funded and whether it’s reasonable and necessary given your child’s goals.
Before and after school care is generally considered a reasonable and necessary support for children who need disability-specific assistance during those hours. If your child’s plan includes community participation or daily life supports, there’s a reasonable chance this can be funded. But it’s worth checking with your support coordinator before booking anything.
Plan managed vs NDIA managed, does it change anything?
If your child’s NDIS plan is plan managed, you have more flexibility in choosing who provides the before and after school care. The provider doesn’t need to be a registered NDIS provider.
If your child’s plan is NDIA managed (sometimes called agency managed), you need to use a registered NDIS provider. That’s an important distinction when you’re comparing services, make sure you’re checking registration status before you commit.
You Me and the Community is a registered NDIS provider in Ipswich, so we can support both plan-managed and NDIA-managed participants.
What good NDIS before and after school care looks like
Not all before and after school care is equal. When you’re comparing options, here’s what to look for:
- Qualified support workers with experience in disability support, not just childcare
- Clear communication with parents and carers about how each session goes
- Flexibility to adapt to your child’s specific needs and NDIS goals
- A setting that your child genuinely feels comfortable in
- Experience supporting children with your child’s specific disability or support needs
- Willingness to work with your support coordinator and document progress toward NDIS goals
At You Me and the Community, our before and after school care runs from The Legacy Hub at 143 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, a genuine community space where kids feel welcome from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Before and after school care can be funded through an NDIS plan under community participation or daily life supports, depending on the type of assistance your child needs. Whether it’s covered in your child’s specific plan depends on how their funding has been allocated. Check with your support coordinator.
Your child may be able to access NDIS funding for an additional support worker to assist them within a mainstream service, rather than attending a disability-specific program. This is sometimes called In-Kind support or mainstream overlap. A support coordinator can advise on the right approach for your family.
Look at your child’s NDIS plan under Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation and Assistance with Daily Life. If you’re unsure how to read the plan, your support coordinator or plan manager can walk you through it.
Only if your child’s plan is NDIA managed. If their plan is plan managed or self managed, you can use an unregistered provider. You Me and the Community is a registered NDIS provider, so we can work with all plan management types.
Transport assistance may be available through your child’s NDIS plan under Transport supports, depending on their plan and what’s been funded. Ask your support coordinator to check this when you’re setting up the service.
We provide NDIS before and after school care in Ipswich from The Legacy Hub. If you’d like to find out whether we’re the right fit for your child, call us on 07 3106 0305 or enquire online and we’ll have a chat