School holidays change a participant’s usual routine when school and regular weekday activities pause. This does not create a separate NDIS funding category. Participants continue to use eligible supports included in their NDIS plan when those supports relate to their disability and meet the applicable funding rules.
Depending on their plan and individual needs, school holiday support can include assistance with daily activities at home or disability-related support to access social, recreational and community activities. The NDIS does not generally fund ordinary school holiday programs, vacation care or standard activity costs simply because a participant has an NDIS plan.
What NDIS Supports May Be Available During School Holidays?
The NDIS does not have a separate funding category for school holidays. Participants use the support budgets and categories included in their individual plan, subject to the funding available and the rules that apply to each support category. Current NDIS plans use four support budgets: Core Support, Capacity Building Support, Capital Support, and Recurring Supports. A participant may not have funding in all four because funding is based on their individual needs.
For school holiday planning, two Core Supports categories are particularly relevant: Assistance with Daily Life and Assistance with Social and Community Participation. Core Supports can help participants with everyday tasks and participation in social and community activities when those supports relate to their disability and plan.
Assistance with Daily Life
Assistance with Daily Life sits within Core Supports and can help participants with everyday activities when they require disability-related assistance.
During the school holidays, this support can help a participant maintain daily routines when school and other regular activities pause.
Depending on the participant’s needs and approved funding, support can include:
- Personal care and daily routines
- Meal preparation and cooking
- Cleaning and household tasks
- Shopping and everyday errands
- Assistance with tasks the participant cannot complete independently because of disability
- Support to participate in everyday activities and develop practical skills
The level of assistance should reflect what the participant needs. A support worker may provide direct assistance, supervision or prompts depending on the task and the participant’s goals.
The support does not automatically replace ordinary childcare, parenting or supervision. It needs to be an eligible disability-related support under the participant’s plan.
Assistance with Social and Community Participation
Assistance with Social and Community Participation is a Core Supports category that can fund disability-related assistance to participate in social and community activities. NDIS guidance gives examples such as support from a worker to participate in social and community activities.
During school holidays, a participant may use this type of support to:
- Attend a community activity
- Join a hobby or social group
- Access a recreational activity
- Visit a community facility
- Attend a local event
- Practise community access skills
- Participate in an activity that relates to their interests and goals
The support is the disability-related assistance that helps the participant take part. The activity itself does not automatically become NDIS-funded because a support worker accompanies the participant.
Participants should therefore check both their plan and the relevant NDIS support rules before committing funding to a school holiday activity.
Benefits of NDIS Support During School Holidays
School holidays can change a participant’s normal timetable, access to familiar activities and family routines. Appropriate disability-related support can help maintain important routines while giving participants opportunities to continue participating in activities that matter to them.
For families and carers:
- Maintaining existing support: Eligible disability-related assistance can continue when school is not operating, subject to the participant’s plan and available funding.
- Planning around changed routines: Families can arrange support around different holiday schedules, appointments and activities.
- Separating disability support from childcare: Families can distinguish between eligible disability-related assistance and ordinary vacation-care or childcare arrangements.
- Planning support earlier: Discussing dates, hours and support requirements in advance gives providers time to confirm availability.
For participants:
- Maintaining daily routines: Support can continue with personal care, meal preparation, household tasks and other eligible daily activities.
- Accessing the community: Participants can receive disability-related assistance to take part in suitable social, recreational and community activities.
- Practising everyday skills: Where skill development forms part of the participant’s goals, support can encourage active participation rather than completing every task for them.
- Managing changes in routine: Planned support can provide consistency when the usual school-term schedule changes.
NDIS funding does not replace ordinary parenting, childcare or general supervision. The support needs to address a disability-related need and comply with the participant’s plan and the applicable NDIS rules.
Social and Community Participation During the School Holidays
School holidays give participants more time to take part in activities outside their usual school routine. The most appropriate activity depends on the participant’s interests, goals, support needs, accessibility requirements and preferred environment.
Depending on the participant’s plan and support needs, activities can include:
- Visiting a library, museum or community centre
- Attending an art, cooking or recreational activity
- Meeting friends or joining a social group
- Visiting parks and other community spaces
- Shopping while practising everyday community skills
- Using public transport with disability-related assistance
- Attending suitable local community events
- Participating in hobbies or interest-based activities
The support should have a clear role in helping the participant participate.
For example, a participant working towards greater independence with public transport might receive support to plan a route, read transport information, travel to a familiar location and navigate the destination. The NDIS-funded component relates to the disability-related support required for participation, rather than automatically covering the ordinary cost of the activity.
The same principle applies to recreational activities. If a participant needs a support worker to access an activity because of disability, the support arrangement and the ordinary activity cost should be considered separately.
Daily Living and In-Home Support During School Holidays
A change in school routine does not remove a participant’s everyday disability-related support needs. Where Assistance with Daily Life is included in the participant’s plan, eligible support can continue during the school holidays according to the participant’s funding and plan conditions. Core Supports can include assistance with everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning and personal care.
Depending on individual needs, support can include:
- Personal care: Assistance with disability-related personal tasks.
- Showering and dressing: Support with personal routines where the participant requires assistance.
- Meal preparation: Help with planning and preparing meals and completing related kitchen tasks.
- Eating and drinking: Assistance where disability-related support is required.
- Household routines: Support with cleaning, laundry and other everyday household activities.
- Daily living skills: Assistance to practise tasks the participant wants to complete more independently.
The participant should remain involved in tasks wherever appropriate. For example, a worker can provide prompts or assist with individual steps of meal preparation rather than automatically completing the entire task.
The amount and type of support should reflect the participant’s actual disability-related needs rather than simply the fact that school is closed.
Does the NDIS Pay for School Holiday Programs or Vacation Care?
No. The NDIS does not fund ordinary school holiday program or vacation-care fees.
NDIS guidance identifies outside-school-hours care as a responsibility outside the NDIS. This includes:
- Before-school care
- After-school care
- Student-free-day care
- Vacation care
- School holiday programs
A family therefore cannot use NDIS funding simply to pay the fee for a standard school holiday program because the child is an NDIS participant.
This does not mean an NDIS participant cannot receive disability-related support during the school holidays.
For example, a participant may attend a suitable community activity and receive eligible support from a worker to manage disability-related needs and participate in the activity. The disability-related support and the ordinary activity cost need to be considered separately.
The key distinction is between ordinary childcare or activity costs and additional disability-related support required because of the participant’s disability.
What School Holiday Costs Does the NDIS Not Cover?
NDIS funding is intended for eligible disability-related supports. Ordinary costs that apply regardless of disability generally remain the participant’s responsibility.
School Holiday Program and Care Fees
Ordinary fees for vacation care, school holiday programs and other outside-school-hours care are not NDIS supports.
This includes:
- Before-school care
- After-school care
- Student-free-day care
- Vacation care
- School holiday programs
NDIS funding does not therefore replace ordinary childcare or vacation-care arrangements.
Activity and Entry Costs
A participant should not assume that an ordinary activity cost becomes NDIS-funded because a support worker attends with them.
Examples of ordinary activity costs can include:
- Entry fees
- Memberships
- Registration fees
- Standard class fees
- Ordinary recreational costs
For example, if a participant attends an art class and requires disability-related support to participate, the participant should distinguish the cost of the class from the support they require to access it.
The participant should confirm the relevant arrangements with their provider before booking. NDIS support rules and the participant’s plan determine whether a particular support cost can be funded.
Everyday Living and Family Costs
NDIS funding does not cover ordinary household or family expenses simply because they occur during school holidays.
Families should distinguish between:
- Disability-related support: such as assistance with personal care or eligible support to participate in a community activity.
- Ordinary expenses: such as general childcare, standard activity fees and other costs that are not disability-related supports.
Participants should check the current NDIS support rules and their plan before using funding for an unfamiliar expense.
How to Choose School Holiday Supports That Suit the Participant
The right school holiday support starts with the participant’s needs and goals rather than the activities a provider happens to offer.
Start With the Participant’s Interests and Goals
Consider:
- Interests: What activities does the participant enjoy?
- Meaningful activities: Which activities relate to their personal or community goals?
- Environment: Do they prefer familiar places or want to explore somewhere new?
- Support style: Would one-to-one assistance or a suitable group activity work better?
- Skills: Is there a skill they want to practise during the holidays?
For example, a participant working towards greater community independence might prefer regular visits to a local library, shopping centre or community group rather than a large one-off excursion.
Consider Their Support Needs and Routines
Before arranging support, consider:
- Personal care
- Mobility and physical accessibility
- Communication preferences
- Sensory needs
- Meal-related support
- Transport requirements
- Familiar routines
- Medication-related support requirements
- Relevant behaviour support requirements
Share relevant requirements with the provider before confirming the activity. This gives the provider information needed to consider the appropriate worker, schedule and support arrangement.
Keep Choice and Control in the Planning
Participants should remain involved in deciding how they spend their school holidays and what support they receive.
Families and support teams can present realistic options, explain what each activity involves and give the participant an opportunity to express their preferences.
Choice and control also applies to selecting providers and arranging supports within the participant’s plan, funding arrangements and applicable NDIS rules.
Check Your NDIS Plan Before Booking School Holiday Support
Before arranging additional support, check the participant’s current NDIS plan and available funding.
Review:
- Which support budgets and categories are included
- How much funding is currently available
- Whether the proposed support is an eligible NDIS support
- Whether the relevant funding is flexible or stated
- How the participant’s funding is managed
- Whether additional holiday support will affect funding needed later
- Whether funding periods apply to the participant’s plan
Current NDIS plans include four support budgets: Core Support, Capacity Building Support, Capital Support and Recurring Supports. Not every participant receives funding in every budget, and support categories have different flexibility rules.
Core Supports are generally flexible across eligible Core support categories unless a support is stated in the participant’s plan. Flexibility does not mean the funding can be used for any expense; purchases must still be eligible NDIS supports and in line with the participant’s plan. Capacity Building and Capital funding have more specific category and stated-support requirements.
Funding periods also matter for participants whose plans include them. The NDIS states that funding is released in specific periods, usually three months, and each funding component can have its own funding periods.
Before increasing support during the school holidays, check:
- When the relevant funding period starts and ends
- How much funding is currently available
- How much support the participant expects to use during the holidays
- Whether enough funding remains for later support
- Whether the proposed support sits within the relevant support category
For plans with funding periods, unused funding rolls into the next funding period within the same plan, while future funding generally cannot be brought forward.
How to Plan School Holiday Support Early
School holiday support can require different hours, locations or activities from a participant’s usual routine. Confirming the details early gives the participant, family and provider time to establish suitable arrangements.
Confirm Dates and Support Times
Discuss:
- Required dates
- Preferred support hours
- Existing routines
- Existing appointments or commitments
- Individual or group support preferences
- Dates when usual supports will not operate
Do not assume that a regular support schedule will continue unchanged during the school holidays. Confirm the arrangement with the provider before the holiday period begins.
Discuss Accessibility and Support Requirements
Tell the provider about relevant requirements such as:
- Mobility
- Personal care
- Communication
- Sensory preferences
- Physical accessibility
- Transport
- Medication-related information
- Relevant behaviour support requirements
Specific information helps the provider understand the participant’s requirements and determine whether it can provide the requested support.
Understand Costs and Booking Conditions
Before confirming the arrangement, clarify:
- Provider rates
- Number of support hours
- Applicable travel charges
- Activity or entry costs paid separately by the participant
- Cancellation conditions
- Service agreement terms
- How changes to scheduled support are handled
Ask the provider to explain which charges relate to the support itself and which costs remain the participant’s responsibility.
NDIS School Holiday Support with Holistic Futures in Victoria
Holistic Futures provides NDIS disability support across Melbourne and Victoria for participants who need assistance with daily activities, independent living and community participation. During school holidays, the relevant service depends on the participant’s disability-related needs, goals, approved funding and preferred support arrangements.
For participants arranging support during the school holidays, relevant Holistic Futures services include:
Supported Independent Living
Supported Independent Living assists eligible participants who need ongoing support with everyday activities within their living arrangement.
Support can include:
- Personal care
- Cooking and meal preparation
- Household routines
- Daily activities
- Independent living skill development
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is for participants with high support needs who require support or supervision from support workers throughout the day and overnight. SIL funds the support provided in the home, rather than the accommodation itself.
SIL is therefore relevant to participants who already require this type of ongoing home support. SIL is not a school holiday program or temporary holiday support. For participants who already have SIL funding, their usual disability-related home support may continue during school holidays in line with their plan and support arrangements.
Life Skills and Home Support
Life Skills and Home Support helps participants manage practical activities and daily routines at home.
Support can include:
- Cooking and meal preparation
- Shopping
- Cleaning and household tasks
- Personal care
- Daily routines
- Practical living skills
During school holidays, this type of support can help participants maintain familiar routines when their normal school schedule changes. Where skill development forms part of the participant’s goals, workers can support the participant to take an active role in completing tasks.
Support Coordination
Support Coordination helps eligible participants understand their NDIS plans, connect with providers and coordinate approved supports.
For school holiday planning, Support Coordination can assist with:
- Reviewing available funding
- Identifying suitable providers
- Coordinating different supports
- Understanding service arrangements
- Connecting supports with participant goals
Support Coordination is only available where the participant has the relevant funding in their NDIS plan. NDIS guidance describes Support Coordination as a Capacity Building support that can help participants manage their funding, supports and providers.
Social and Community Participation
Social and Community Participation supports participants to access activities and community settings that align with their interests and goals.
During school holidays, support can include:
- Attending community activities
- Accessing recreational activities
- Pursuing hobbies and interests
- Attending appointments
- Joining social activities
- Building confidence in community settings
The support focuses on the disability-related assistance required for the participant to participate. Ordinary activity fees and other costs remain subject to the applicable NDIS rules and the participant’s own arrangements.
The appropriate service depends on the participant’s disability-related needs, goals, available funding and preferred support arrangements. Families should confirm service availability, support hours, locations and applicable costs with Holistic Futures before making holiday arrangements.
If you are planning NDIS support for the school holidays, contact Holistic Futures to discuss the participant’s support needs, preferred activities, dates and available services across Victoria.
FAQs About NDIS School Holiday Supports
Can NDIS support continue when school is closed?
Yes. School holidays do not automatically stop a participant’s NDIS support. If the participant has relevant funding and continues to need eligible disability-related support, that support can continue during the holiday period according to their plan and funding arrangements.
Can an NDIS support worker take a participant on a school holiday outing?
A support worker can assist a participant to access an appropriate social, recreational or community activity when the participant has relevant disability-related funding and the support meets NDIS requirements. The support should address the participant’s disability-related needs rather than simply provide ordinary childcare or supervision.
Does the NDIS pay activity entry fees?
Participants generally pay ordinary activity costs such as entry, registration or membership fees themselves. NDIS funding may pay for eligible disability-related support required to take part in the activity. Ask the provider in advance how any costs associated with the accompanying support worker will be handled.
Can school holiday support be different from a participant’s usual support?
Yes. A participant’s support needs and schedule can change when the normal school-term routine changes. The participant and provider can discuss different support times or activities within the participant’s available funding and plan conditions, provided the support remains eligible.
What happens if a participant needs more support during the school holidays?
First, check the participant’s plan and available funding for the holiday period. If funding periods apply, check the amount available in the relevant period before increasing support hours.
If the participant’s needs have changed and existing funding does not meet those needs, they should discuss the situation with their support coordinator, LAC or the NDIS rather than assume that additional support will be funded automatically.
Can unused NDIS funding be used in the next funding period?
For plans with funding periods, unspent funding rolls over into the next funding period within the same plan. Funding from a future period generally cannot be brought forward, although the NDIA can consider exceptional circumstances.
Participants should check their plan and current funding balance before arranging additional school holiday support.
How far in advance should I arrange NDIS support for school holidays?
There is no single NDIS deadline for booking school holiday support. Families should contact their provider early enough to confirm worker availability, dates, support hours, accessibility requirements and provider conditions.
Early planning becomes particularly important when the participant needs support at specific times or locations, or when their usual support arrangements change during the holidays.
