For information on submitting invoices for Term 1 and 2, 2026, please click here: English and childminding funding Term 1 and 2, 2026 – Hub Toolbox
For information about English and childminding funding for Term 3 and 4, 2026, please continue reading.
If you have any further questions, please register for an information session by clicking on one of the links below:
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What is English and childminding funding?
Community Hubs Australia (CHA) receives funding from the Federal Government for hubs to run English classes, and where needed, childminding to support English classes. The purpose is to give more people in the community the chance to access English classes tailored to their needs, by removing some of the barriers that prevent them from accessing it in the community, such as location and eligibility requirements. More detail about how this funding can and cannot be used is here.
How do I access English and childminding funding?
Previously, hubs that wanted to access English and childminding funding needed to apply for funding every six months, submitting approved quotes, lesson plans and provider details, and then submit invoices to CHA at the end of each term. As of Term 3, 2026, this will no longer be necessary.
For schools that choose to receive it, this funding is now part of the school’s contract with CHA. A set amount of English and childminding funding is provided to schools every six months, giving them more certainty about the funding available ahead of time, and flexibility to respond to changes throughout each term. Each school is responsible for using this funding as needed to pay their English and/or childminding providers and keeping records of how the funding was spent. Where the school is paying a provider, it is best practice to collect quotes for the expected cost and scope of work to be conducted, and check invoices against both the quotes and what was actually delivered. At the end of each six-month period, the school’s business manager (or other school leadership) will acquit these funds, as they do for hub funding. CHA may ask your school to share English and / or childminding invoices to ensure funding has been spent in line with the funding requirements. More detail about how this funding can and cannot be used is described here.
Hub leader responsibilities
Work with providers: Continue to work with the English teachers and childminders – as you do with all providers – to ensure English classes are accessible and meeting the needs of participants.
Work within budget: When organising English teachers and childminders, check with your business manager about available funding.
Make referrals to the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) where appropriate: Consider implementing a structured approach to refer to the AMEP to support hub participants pathway to further English study. To see a list of AMEP providers in your local area follow this link: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/settling-in-australia/amep/find-a-class/providers-and-locations.
Work with your school: Continue to communicate with school leadership about your plans for English classes and any changes during the term, and get approval for quotes. It is the responsibility of the school to communicate with providers about any relevant policies and procedures for working on school grounds.
Record activity on Hub Portal: Continue to keep records of English classes and attendances in Hub Portal, as you do for all hub activities. To help us keep track of which classes use this funding, when you enter English classes into Hub Portal, please be sure to select “CHA English and childminding funding” as a partner.
Reporting requirements: As part of the reporting requirements of this funding, you are also responsible for collecting and sharing with CHA the following forms:
- Visa category, demographics and year of arrival for all English class participants (only once for each participant)
- Measure of English progress for all English class participants (once per six-month period for each participant)
Information about how to collect and report this information can be found here. Note that we do not collect identifying information (such as individual names) and the data from these forms will be aggregated, which means that no individual can be identified.
Funding requirements
It is important that English and childminding funding is used for its approved purpose, and in line with the following requirements.
English
English must be free of charge to participants and open to anyone. If your English language provider has eligibility requirements that will exclude some participants, you should think about how they can access English classes, or possibly consider a different English provider – hubs are for everyone.
Please note there is no expectation that hubs run English classes every term. This depends on community need and priorities of the hub.
The content and format of the classes can be tailored to suit the needs of the community, so classes may be, for example:
- Beginner, intermediate or advanced English
- English for citizenship
- English for jobs / skills training to a vocational pathway
- English for school readiness with parent and child.
Regardless of how the English is delivered, the provider must be suitably qualified or hold relevant skills to teach English to adults. For example:
- When running a conversational English class, at the very minimum, this needs to be someone with relevant skills and ability to facilitate the activity. For example, this would be someone with experience in teaching adult learners.
- When running a formal English program across the term (e.g. Certificate III in English), this needs to be someone who holds an adult English teaching qualification such as Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA).
A cooking or sewing instructor is not an English teacher. A sewing class may provide the opportunity to practise English, however this is not an English class and is not eligible for CHA funding.
English funding CAN be used
✔ To pay an English teacher to run English classes for adults in the hub. This includes, within reason, preparation and administration time. As a guide, this may be up to 30 minutes preparation time per 1 hour of class time.
English funding CANNOT be used
✖For hub activities that are conducted in English, but are not primarily English classes, (eg. sewing, cooking, formal training).
✖To support English activity in the hub (e.g. catering, teaching materials, printing) or for resourcing to support non-English activity.
✖To pay for an interpreter to support the English class.
✖To run literacy classes for those with English as a first language.
✖To pay the hub leader to follow up with families and/or support the English provider with preparation or delivery.
✖For transport of hub participants to and from the English class.
✖For transport, catering and resources for English class excursions.
✖To run English classes for children only.
✖To pay for an English teacher’s annual or personal leave.
As part of planning English classes for your hub, keep in mind that there may be an opportunity for you to work with providers in your local area that are already funded from other sources. If your English class is already funded, you will not need to use this funding to pay the English teacher.
Childminding
Childminding may be offered to English class participants with pre-school aged children. The funding must be used for childminding to support an English activity only and provided onsite where English is being delivered. Other activities run in your hub that require childminding are not supported by this funding.
A childcare worker holds full responsibility of the children they look after. Childminding funding can be used to pay for childminding, not childcare.
Childminders do not require special qualifications like childcare workers. A childminder looks after the children of hub participants, however the parent remains responsible for the child’s behaviour, safety and wellbeing. Childminding may be offered by a childminding service provider or an individual with an ABN. Many hubs employ a hub participant as a childminder as a way of supporting them with paid employment. For many, it’s their first job in Australia.
Childminding funding CAN be used
✔ To pay a childminder to look after the children of hub participants attending an English class in the hub. This includes the setting up, and packing away, of toys and books for the childminding activity. This can be up to 30 minutes, before and after the English class in the hub.
Childminding funding CANNOT be used
✖To pay a childminder to perform non-childminding activities in the hub or the school.
✖To pay a childminder to look after the English facilitator’s child only.
✖To pay a childminder to look after the children of hub participants attending a non-English activity.
✖To pay for childcare responsibilities.
Reporting requirements
As part of the requirements for providing this funding, the Department of Home Affairs asks that we collect visa and demographic information, and apply a measure of English progress for each regular participant once every six months. This information is recorded on the following two forms and submitted to CHA:
1. Visa category form
Enter the visa category, demographics and year of arrival for all participants in a CHA-funded English class using this form: Visa category form. A printable version of the form can be found here: Download Visa category form – PDF.
Please note:
• the form only needs to be completed once for each new participant. Previous participants will not need to complete this form again.
• the data from these forms will be aggregated, which means that no individual can be identified.
2. Measure of English progress form
Your English teacher is required to demonstrate the progress made by participants in the English program. If they already have a tool to measure English progress, they can continue to use it. Please submit these progress forms to CHA via email.
If your English teacher does not have a measure of English progress in place, please enter measure of English progress forms here: Measure of English progress form. A printable version of the form can be found here: Download Measure of English progress form – PDF.
The measure of English progress must be completed for each participant who regularly participates in the English program i.e. attends three or more sessions. Please ensure that these forms are submitted to CHA by the end of Term 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Accessing and using the funding
By providing English and childminding funding to your school upfront, we have removed the need for you to apply for a specified amount of funding ahead of time and then submit invoices at the end of each term. The funding requirements (how it can be spent) and reporting requirements have not changed.
In listening to hub leaders and business managers, we wanted to make it easier for you to access funds to run English classes, with childminding support where needed. The current application, approval and invoicing process requires a lot of time and work from each school. Feedback we received from schools indicated that providing English and childminding funding as part of the hub contract would streamline the process and give schools more certainty about the amount of funding available to them, and more flexibility to allow for changes during the term. This in turn makes it easier to plan English classes as part of hub activity.
No, you will have a set amount of funding provided on 31 July and 31 January each year, unless your school opts out of receiving English and childminding funding. You can use the funding to pay for English class delivery and/or childminders supporting English classes in the hub.
This is good practice for any provider delivering a service in your hub, however, you no longer need to submit the quotes to CHA ahead of time. We encourage you to compare the invoices you receive at the end of each term with the quotes and question any discrepancies. We may ask your school to share the quotes to ensure funding has been spent in line with the funding requirements.
This is good practice to ensure the English classes are being prepared and delivered by a teacher with suitable skills and experience, and that the primary focus of the class is English. We may ask your school to share the lesson plans to ensure funding has been spent in line with the funding requirements.
No, the school will review and pay the invoices from providers. While you no longer need to submit invoices to us at the end of each term, we may ask your school to share the invoices to ensure funding has been spent in line with the funding requirements.
Yes, this funding from DHA has reporting requirements that still apply. Hub leaders should continue the current processes including:
- recording in Hub Portal how many adults and children attend each session
- new participants completing a visa category form each term and
- regular participants completing a measure of English progress form
No, this information is now collected through the acquittal process, which your school business manager will complete, and the measure of English progress form.
Each school (unless they have chosen not to receive it) will receive a set amount of funding on 31 July and 31 January each year. For most schools this will be $8,000 ex-GST. For schools that have historically required a lower amount of English and childminding funding, the CHA team has worked with those schools to provide a smaller amount based on the hub’s needs. Check with your business manager how much English and childminding funding you have available.
Yes. When planning English classes, confirm with your business manager how much English and childminding funding you have.
No. Funding can only be used to pay the childminder for the hours they are childminding which includes the setting up, and putting way, of toys and books. Payment for non-childminding activities sits outside the funding and is a responsibility of the school.
No, the school has the autonomy to decide how to use the funding provided and to change plans as needed (provided it is in line with the funding requirements) without having to notify CHA. You should discuss any changes with your provider and document what you have agreed to. Be sure to let your school business manager / school leadership know and check the invoices at the end of term to make sure they are correct.
That is not a requirement of the funding. Every school is different and has its own processes for working with providers. We recommend you follow the same process you do for other non-school providers who are paid to deliver services in the school.
Hourly rates vary widely between providers. It is up to each school to decide which providers they work with and agree together on the cost for services provided.
No. To understand how the funding can and cannot be used, go to here.
No. To understand how the funding can and cannot be used, go to here.
No. To understand how the funding can and cannot be used, go to here.
Please contact Program and Operations Coordinator Maia Nelson at maianelson@communityhubs.org.au.
English
If your hub is new or this is the first time you are planning to run English classes, please talk to your support coordinator and other hub leaders for ideas about how to get started.
Of course! If your English class is already funded, you will not need to use this funding to pay the English teacher. You can still use English and childminding funding from CHA to pay a childminder to support externally funded English classes in your hub, if needed.
Please note there is no expectation that hubs run English classes every term. This depends on community need and priorities of the hub.
Yes, preparation and administration time can be included, however it must be reasonable. As a guide, this may be up to 30 minutes preparation time per 1 hour of class time.
Qualified means that the English teacher holds an adult English teaching qualification such as Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), or a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA). This qualification is typically required for a formal English program (e.g. Certificate III in English). When running an informal class, for example, conversational English, the teacher needs to have relevant skills and experience to do so. For example, they would have experience in teaching adult learners.
Childminding
Yes, that’s fine. If you used the funding to pay the childminder but not the English teacher, you still need to complete the measure of English progress and visa category for everyone in your English class.
The funding is to be used for a childminder to look after the children of hub participants’ attending the English class. It is fine for the childminder to look after the English teacher’s child, but only if they are also looking after children of hub participants attending the English class. Childminding funding cannot be used for a childminder to look after the English teacher’s child only.
No. A childminder looks after the children of hub participants and should be in the same building as the parent who remains responsible for the child’s behaviour, safety and wellbeing. This funding can be used to pay for childminding, not childcare. A childcare worker holds full responsibility of the children they look after. Childminders do not require special qualifications like childcare workers. For more information, click here.
Invoicing for your programs