The Child Care Subsidy (CCS): What You Need to Know

The Child Care Subsidy is a financial assistance to reduce your out-of-pocket costs for child care. Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to receive up to 90% of your child care fees covered by the subsidy.

How much you receive depends on a number of factors, including your family’s income, the age and number of children, the paid and unpaid activities, like your job or volunteer work, your family is involved in.

Knowing how to get the most out of the subsidy means maximizing the amount of time your child can spend in care, which supports vital learning and development.

It can be a little complicated so, we made it easy for you to understand how much of the child care benefit you might be eligible for with our simple Child Care Subsidy Calculator.

Child Care Subsidy Calculator

The best way to learn more about subsidised child care is to come into a Guardian Centre and speak to a member of our team. With over 170 centres nationwide there’s a centre near you. With Guardian, your child will receive the highest quality of care from our qualified Teachers and Educators. We’re proud to say that 94% of our Centres meet or exceed the National Quality Standard.

We’d love to help you and we can show you how we can support your child to grow and thrive.

Who can get the child care subsidy?

Rather than families receiving a child care rebate directly, the CSS is paid directly to providers to reduce the child care fees you pay.

To get the CCS you must:  

• Care for a child 13 or younger who’s not attending secondary school, unless an exemption applies
• Use an approved child care service
• Be responsible for paying the child care fees
• Meet residency and immunisation requirements

How much can I claim?

Your CCS is calculated using three components:  

• Your combined family income
• Your level of activity, such as work, education, or volunteering.
• Your childcare provider’s hourly rate

You may also be able to get a higher subsidy if you have more than one child in care.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children may be able to access CCS without the activity test. Visit the Services Australia website to find out more.

How do I apply for the Child Care Subsidy?

You apply for the CCS online using your Services Australia or MyGov account.   

You can use the Services Australia eligibility tool to guide you through the process of applying for a new childcare subsidy and more information about eligibility criteria can be found on the Services Australia website 

Wondering about your Child Care Subsidy eligibility? Please contact our Customer Concierge Team for help on 138230 or visit one of our Centres to find out more.