Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Rebate Guide

A Guide to the Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS) & Childcare Rebates from Centrelink

The Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS) aims to make early learning more affordable; however, we understand it’s not always easy to navigate.

We are here to help.

Our ultimate purpose is to ensure our families have all the tools and information at their disposal to feel confident in their children’s journey in early childhood education.

Check out our easy explainer video to assist in understanding the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). It’ll take you through everything you need to know to get started.

Our team is always available to assist. Read below for more information or contact us anytime to chat more.

We look forward to welcoming you in centre!

AM I ELIGIBLE?

You may be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy if you meet a number of factors. Check out our video for the full explainer.

How much CCS will I be entitled to?

This will depend on three factors:​

  • How much ‘work related’ activity (see education.gov.au) you and your partner undertake each fortnight. The entitlement is based on the lesser activity figure for a member of a couple.
  • Your total combined family income.
  • The amount of early education child care undertaken.

Not sure what kinds of activity make the cut for the Subsidy? See below.

Government Activity Test

Types of approved activity

Paid work, including leave

Volunteering

Studying (approved course)

Self-employed work

Working for free (in the family business)

Actively job seeking

Time taken to travel between the child care service and your place of work, training, study, or other approved activity will also be included.

Hours of Fortnightly Activity
=
Hours of Subsidised care

Between 8 and 16 36 hours
16 to 48 72 hours
More than 48 100 hours
 

Kindergarten Approved Care

Kindergarten aged children are entitled to 36 hours to attend a kindergarten program in an approved long day care service.

No activity test requirements.

how to apply?

You’ll be applying for CCS via your MyGov Account, which is linked to Centrelink. Do this as soon as you know when you might be sending your little one into care so that it’s all set up and ready to go for your child’s first day.

Don’t necessarily wait until you’ve found a centre that you’re happy with. The entire process may take between four and six weeks, and if it’s not set up when you begin care, you may be paying full fees until it’s all complete.

Check out the video to see how to apply for the CCS online. You can then track the progress of your claim online, every step of the way.

Need help setting up a MyGov account?
Click here to watch a video, or read more online at Services Australia.

Flexible Hours

We know that there is no one size fits all option for our families when it comes to early childhood education and care. That is why we give families the freedom to choose which hours best suit their needs.

Designed to reduce out of pocket costs and increase access to subsidised hours, the new flexible model is part of our commitment to providing greater access to quality early childhood education and care.

Read more about flexible hours here.

How To Work Out Your Out-of-Pocket payment

It’s great to know what your child care centre charges for a day, but what you really need to know - for family finance purposes - is what you’ll need to pay out of pocket.

To try calculating your out-of-pocket fee, try our handy subsidy calculator. Simply enter your details and it will bring up an estimate for you!

Want to try and work out your out-of-pocket fee manually? You might like to check out this video for a formula that will help!

Here’s how much you can expect to get covered, on average.

To read more about combined annual income and the annual cap, click here for further information from education.gov.au.

The Additional Child Care Subsidy and more

Check out the best ways of making the subsidy work for your family; from our Flexible Hours offering to the Additional Child Care Subsidy and Preschool Exemption Program. These are all great ways of making child care more affordable.

Please note that the Additional Child Care Subsidy is a top up payment in addition to the Child Care Subsidy which will provide targeted additional fee assistance to families and children who need extra support.

The Additional Child Care Subsidy has four elements:

  • Child wellbeing
  • Grandparents
  • Temporary financial hardship
  • Transition to work.
Find out more about the Additional Child Care Subsidy here.
Our expert Family Support Team are just a phone call away to guide you through the process.

Simply call 1800 314 517.

Download the full eBook here

We’ve included the latest information and valuable resources for you in this free eBook to assist in your CCS journey.

Click here to download

still need help?

Rest assured that our team is always available to assist. Feel free to contact us anytime to chat more, and we look forward to welcoming you in centre.
Disclaimer The subsidy you will receive and any applicable cap will depend upon your own personal circumstances and is subject to your combined family income, hours of recognised activity and child care details. Even if you are currently receiving the Child Care Benefit or Child Care Rebate, you will need to update your details through your Centrelink account on MyGov. For more information visit The Department of Education’s website at education.gov.au/childcare. Tags: childcare, centrelink, ccs, daycare, contact, eligibility, additonal, rebate, government, apply, balancing, application, e-book, guide, human services and day care.