Government's childcare plan about 'allowing workers to concentrate on their job'

Education Minister Dan Tehan says "we want to support those people who are working to be able to concentrate on what they're doing to defeat this pandemic" following the government's Thursday childcare announcement.

All workers still in a job will receive free childcare where necessary as the government seeks to underpin the viability of the sector.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison had confirmed the government will spend $1.6 billion supporting 13,000 childcare facilities and parents to take away the financial burden of having children at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government will pay childcare centres a fortnightly sum to cover the costs of families' childcare, while the gap-free parents are ordinarily expected to pay will be waived.

All workers still in a job who need childcare will be eligible Education Minister Dan Tehan confirmed.

"We want people to use their judgement and use their common sense," he told Sky News.

"We want to support those people who are working to be able to concentrate on what they're doing to defeat this pandemic and know that their children are getting that continuity of care".

He said childcare centres are set to "prioritise" the provision of free childcare for "vulnerable children," those "with existing enrollments" and for "those people who are working".

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