The NSW government’s new Creative Kids program, which came into effect on January 1, allows parents and guardians to offset some of the costs associated with kids unleashing their inner artist.

Families can claim one voucher for every school-aged child per year and use it to help meet the cost of structured creative and cultural activities, such as music lessons, languages, coding, drama and theatre, photography and graphic design.

Vouchers can be put towards registration, participation and tuition expenses with registered providers.

Anchors Aweigh Art Studio, on Church Street in Wollongong, is one of a number of Creative Kids registered providers in the Illawarra and vouchers can be cashed-in on many of its courses.

Studio owner Trina Collins said the vouchers had already proven popular with school holiday and term classes so far this year.

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“[About] 60 per cent of the enrolments for this term have used the Creative Kids vouchers and it was similar in the school holidays as well,” Ms Collins said.

“I think a lot of parents are still just finding out about it.”

Ms Collins said parents were more inclined to have their kids “give it a go” knowing they had a $100 voucher to use; one voucher could cover half the cost of term classes or pay for all of some school holiday programs.

“So they [parents] are pretty much getting a free course and they’re great taste-testers for the kids to come and try it out and see if they like it,” she said.

Steve Wood’s daughter, 11-year-old Amelia, attends classes at Ms Collins’ studio  – and uses a voucher to help cover the cost.

“These are things that we sort of try and do anyway, but it’s certainly a help to have that little bit of an extra boost from the government,” Mr Wood said.

Creative Kids follows the introduction of the government’s Active Kids rebate, which offers $100 vouchers to cover sport and fitness costs, at the start of last year.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said both programs had been hugely successful, but urged parents to make sure they didn’t just download the voucher and let it gather dust. 

“If you fail to lodge them with your accredited provider by the end of the year they are valid for, they go to waste,” he said.

To find a Creative Kids service provider near you, visit: service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/creative-kids.