YMCA NSW is now approved as a major provider under the NSW Governments $207 million dollar initiative to get kids active, so parents struggling to afford the price of afterschool sports can save $100 per child.
The Active Kids Rebate, which begins on 31 January, provides school-aged children with a $100 voucher for the calendar year to help cover the cost of sporting and fitness activities.
As one of the largest swimming and gymnastics providers across the state, YMCA NSW caters for all ages from young kids all the way to teenagers.
YMCA NSW Chief Executive Officer, Leisa Hart said:
YMCA NSW is fully behind this program, which will help to relieve household costs by putting $100 back into the pockets of mums and dads. It’s addressing one of the most significant barriers for kids to participate in
sporting
programs, which is affordability. So we’re encouraging families to take advantage of this offer and set their kids up for a healthier life.
Families can use the voucher to take advantage of a range of YMCA NSW programs, including learn to swim classes, gymnastics, Teen Gym and indoor sports.
We have a huge range of sporting activities so that every family can find what suits them best,” Ms Hart said. “Gymnastics is a great introduction sport that promotes getting kids active and reducing obesity, it also helps build their confidence, strength and co-ordination skills. We also run a variety of indoor sports with junior and senior competitions running for netball, football, basketball and even futsal.
YMCA NSW Teen Gym classes provide another healthy alternative for young people who want to stay active but don’t want to play a sport.
Our Teen Gym classes are great for young people who want to be a part of a group exercise environment, during the session they work with a personal trainer who helps them build their fitness levels with tailored cardio workouts,Ms Hart said.
The government-funded program runs for four years and parents can redeem their vouchers for any sporting/physical activity program of at least eight weeks’ duration.
YMCA NSW also offers learn to swim classes under the Active Kids rebate scheme.
Swimming lessons are unfortunately not mandatory in Australia for children and it’s concerning that thousands of kids haven’t had access to swimming lessons in previous years for a range of reasons, one of which is the cost, Ms Hart said.
A study conducted by the NSW Government showed that of the children who had drowned or near drowned, less than half had taken part in swimming lessons.
We believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim and the Active Kids Rebate helps to make lessons more accessible for families.
WHAT IS THE ACTIVE KIDS REBATE PROGRAM?
The NSW Government recently announced a $207 million commitment over four years to reduce the barriers in sporting participation and increase the physical activity of school-aged children.
Parents/guardians can claim $100 voucher (per child) which can be used for registration and participation costs for any approved sporting/physical activity program of at least eight weeks’ duration.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO CLAIM THE VOUCHER?
The $100 Active Kids rebate is not means tested, so it’s available to all families of all income levels. To qualify your child must be enrolled in a school in New South Wales. There is a limit of one voucher per child/young person per calendar year.
From January 31, 2018, you can register and claim your voucher/s by:
- Step 1: Visit your closest Service NSW Centre or on their online platform to register and download your child’s Active Kids Voucher.
- Step 2: Once downloaded, present your voucher to YMCA approved programs.
- Step 3: Save $100 on registration fees and keep active!
Each centre's registered sports activities can be found on https://www.ymcansw.org.au/active-kids/
More information about the Active Kids rebate and eligibility can be found on: www.sport.nsw.org.au/activekids
To sign up for a My Service NSW account head to: www.service.nsw.org.au
Media: Skaie Hull 0415070604 E skaie.hull@ymcansw.org.au
Source - https://kidshealth.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/the_nsw_study_of_drowning_and_near_drowning_in_children_0-16_final_july_2015.pdf
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