Support with childcare and education after an injury
If we cover an injury for you or the child you care for, we may be able to help support the child’s care and education.
On this page
Who can get support?
We may be able to help if:
- you're an injured parent or caregiver and you can't care for the child or do everyday activities for them
- you have an injured child and they need help with learning and activities at school.
The child you care for must be under 14 years old, or under 18 if they need care because of a physical or mental condition.
Types of support you can get
The types of support you can apply for:
- childcare – helping an injured parent or caregiver to look after a child. Help is available at home or at an accredited facility, eg a playcentre or kindergarten
- attendant care – helping an injured parent with tasks they can't do for their child because of an injury, eg dressing or washing
- education support – helping an injured child with learning and activities at school, eg help from a teacher aide or tutor. If your child can't go to school we may be able to help with home education while they’re injured.
What we'll pay for
If we accept your application, we’ll pay for the support you or the child needs.
You may have paid some of these costs while waiting to hear if we'll cover your injury. Talk to your recovery team about a possible refund.
How to apply for childcare and education support
If we cover your or your child's injury you can apply for childcare and education support. To apply you can:
- ask your doctor to send us a letter of recommendation. We’ll contact you once we get the letter
- contact our claims team. Have your claim number ready
- fill out the ACC001 form and send it to us by email or post, or drop it at your local ACC branch
- contact your recovery team if you have one.
Assessing what support you need
Sometimes we need more details to make a decision on the type of support we can give. We’ll then ask to have an assessment done.
Arranging your assessment
Once you apply, we’ll send a referral to an independent assessor. They’ll contact you within two working days to set up an appointment. The child and parent or caregiver can be there during the assessment.
Getting your assessment
The assessor will come and do an assessment within two weeks. They’ll talk to you about the support you need and come back to us with their recommendations.
We’ll let you know our decision
We’ll be in touch within seven working days after the assessment. We’ll talk to you about:
- what help they recommended
- our final decision on the support we can provide
- how long you can get this support for
- the next steps.
Choosing a caregiver for your child
You can choose to get childcare or attendant care from:
- a childcare worker from an agency
- someone you know, such as a friend for family member
- a mix of support from an agency worker and someone you know.
If you choose someone you know, there are tax and legal obligations you both need to consider. We recommend you talk to an accountant or tax adviser.
If you need help making your decision, or want more information about your options, get in touch:
Working with your child’s school
We’ll work with your child’s school to choose the right education support for them. We’ll pay the school for any help your child needs.
Extending your childcare or education support
To apply to extend your support, contact your recovery team before this ends. You may need another assessment.
Contact us
If you have any problems or want to know more about how we can help, talk to your recovery team or contact our claims team:
Phone 0800 101 996 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
Email claims@acc.co.nz
Send us your application
If you live in Northland, Auckland, Waikato or Bay of Plenty:
ACC Hamilton Hub
PO Box 952
Hamilton 3240
If you live in Taranaki, Manawatu-Whanganui, Hawke's Bay, Wellington or the South Island:
ACC Dunedin Hub
PO Box 408
Dunedin 9054