Appendix 3 | Applying the CRIA tool to COVID-19 pandemic policy and legislation relating to the closure of schools and early childhood education and care in Australia Stage 4: Analysis of impacts and mitigating factors Question 12: What measures or safeguards are included in the policy/legislation to mitigate negative impacts or advance positive impacts on the rights of children? These mitigants were brought to our attention whilst undertaking this project. We are unable to assess the effectiveness of them at this time. On 13 January 2022, National Cabinet agreed to a framework to promote a nationally consistent approach to the ongoing delivery of high-quality education for all students during COVID-19. This is known as the National Framework for Managing COVID-19 in Schools and Early Childhood Education Care (ECEC).213 This Framework is based on 6 national guiding principles: • ECEC services and schools are essential and should be the first to open and the last to close wherever possible in outbreak situations, with face-to-face learning prioritised. • Baseline public health measures continue to apply. • No vulnerable child or child of an essential worker is turned away. • Responses to be proportionate and health risk-based. • Equip ECEC services and schools to respond on the basis of public health advice and with support from public health authorities where required. • Wellbeing of children and education staff to be supported.214 While the ECEC and school closures were managed by states and territories, the federal government introduced a range of measures to support children and their families. The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment reported introducing measures to assist childcare centres to remain open to vulnerable children and those from families of essential workers, reduce the cost of care for families and ensure services remain financially viable during the pandemic.215 These measures included granting business continuity payments and grants to services, additional allowable absence days for families, waiving the requirement for services to recover gap fees, temporarily relaxing activity and administrative requirements to qualify for the Child Care Subsidy, increasing the cap of Child Care Subsidy payments, and allowing third party payments to be made without reducing the rate of the Child Care Subsidy.216 Safeguarding Children: Using a child rights impact assessment to improve our laws and policies | 81