To help encourage participation in more physical activity programs, the NSW government is offering Active Kids Vouchers to help meet some of the financial costs.

Families receiving Family Tax Benefit can apply for an Active and Creative Kids voucher for each eligible child. These vouchers can be used to pay for registration, participation or membership costs for sport, fitness and active recreation activities. There are more than 11,000 providers across the state where the vouchers can be used.    

More information including how to apply for your vouchers can be found here. You can access this information in various languages by clicking on the ‘Change language’ tile at the top right corner of the page.    

If you need help, visit any Service NSW Centre, ask at your local library, child’s school or chosen activity provider. If you are an activity provider and would like help to become registered, contact us here.  

To be eligible for the voucher, a child must be:

• under the care of a parent, guardian or carer receiving:
  • Family Tax Benefit Part A
  • Family Tax Benefit Part B
  • both Family Tax Benefit Part A and Family Tax Benefit Part B
• a NSW resident
• aged between 4.5 and 18 years.

If you have more than one eligible child, you can apply for them in the same application.

Only one person can apply for the vouchers for a child.

Why does the NSW government want kids to be active? 

Sports and active recreation are not only a great way for your children to be physically active, but they also help them to learn teamwork, meet new friends, gain confidence and respect. There have been many studies that have linked participation in sports with improved performance at school. Some sports are changed to help suit younger age groups. They focus on skills development and participation rather than scoring, winning or losing. 

How to redeem your Active Kids Voucher? 

To apply for a voucher, go to the Service NSW website and click on “Apply for a voucher” under the Active Kids page. You will need to create a MyService NSW account. You can use the vouchers with registered Active Kids providers – see the website for a list of eligible providers.  You can also search for a sports club near you on the NSW office of sport website. If your preferred club is not registered with Active Kids you could encourage them to check out the Active Kids website. 

More information including how to apply for your vouchers can be found here. You can access this information in various languages by clicking on the ‘Change language’ tile at the top right corner of the page.  

If you need help, visit any Service NSW Centre, ask at your local library, child’s school or chosen activity provider.    

If you are an activity provider and would like help to become registered, contact us here. 

[Source: Healthy Kids; NSW Office of Sport]