Get Started—Funding to help kids participate

Applying: Parents, guardians and carers

Round 3 opens at 10am on Monday 10 February 2014.

All eligible children and those young people in receipt of a voucher in 2013 are eligible to reapply for a voucher in 2014.

You need a QGrants account to apply for a voucher. You must use your personal email address and personal QGrants account to apply for a voucher. If a club's or friend’s QGrants account is used, the club will not be able to redeem the voucher.

You can register for a QGrants account at any time. If you do not already have a QGrants account, we encourage you to register for an account prior to the next voucher release in early 2014.

I don’t have a QGrants account( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/voucher-application.html ) – register for a new QGrants account

Important: Do not use a mobile phone or tablet device; you will not be able to complete the application process.

Who can apply?

Children and young people from the age of five and under the age of 18 who are residents of Queensland and:

• hold or whose parent, guardian or carer holds a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card 
• Other children or young people identified by two referral agents( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/referral-agents.html )

*The eligibility criteria are applied at the time of application.

Get Started — Referral Agents

• Who is identified as a referral agent?( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/referral-agents.html#who_is_identified_as_a )
• Who can be referred to Get Started?( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/referral-agents.html#who_can_be_referred_to )
• How do I refer a child or young person?( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/referral-agents.html#how_do_i_refer_a )
• Round two dates( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/referral-agents.html#round_two_dates )
• What funding is available?( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/referral-agents.html#what_funding_is_available )
• Further information( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/referral-agents.html#further_information )

Who is identified as a referral agent?

People employed in one of the following positions are considered referral agents for Get Started:

• police officer
• police liaison officer
• local councillor
• council youth development officer
• school teacher
• school principal
• school guidance/career counsellor
• state Member of Parliament
• federal Member of Parliament.

Each child/young person must be referred to the program by two referral agents from different occupations to be eligible for a Get Started voucher. Referral agents must be of a different occupation within an organisation or in the community. A teacher and a principal from the same school or a police officer and police liaison officer from the same area are allowed to be referral agents for a child/young person, but two teachers or two police liaison officers are not able to be referral agents for an individual child/young person.

Who can be referred to Get Started?

Get Started is targeted at children and young people who can least afford or may otherwise benefit from joining a sport or recreation club. Referral agents assist with identifying children and young people who would most benefit from participating in sport or active recreation and the payment of membership and/or participation fees. Being referred by a referral agent does not require the family to have a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.

Referral agents must meet the following criteria to refer a child or young person:

• child/young person cannot be an immediate family member
• child/young person cannot be referred to a club where the referral agent is involved as a member or employee
• must know the child/young person for a period of 12 months or longer
• must be able to demonstrate, if requested, the reasons why the child/young person is referred.

How do I refer a child or young person?

Please provide the parent/carer/guardian with a copy of the Fact Sheet for Parents, Carers and Guardians (PDF, 724K)*( http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/funding/getinthegame/pdf/get-started-fact-sheet-parents.pdf ) and the following details:

• name and position title
• organisation name
• phone number and email address.

The parent/carer/guardian will need this information to apply for a voucher. Advise the parent/guardian/carer that they must provide the details of two referral agents to be eligible for a voucher.

Once a child/young person’s parent/carer/guardian has details of two referral agents to support an application for a Get Started voucher, the parent/guardian/carer can go online to apply a voucher when the program is open.

If a child is eligible for Get Started, they are not guaranteed a voucher. The funding will be distributed in two rounds each year on a first come, first served basis. Once the allocation for each round is exhausted, the program will close and no further vouchers will be offered for that round.

Referral agents may be contacted by the department to confirm the referral of a child/young person.