State support to make your care more affordable

Choosing the right care for your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. We understand that navigating the financial side of care can be complex, especially when it comes to government fee help.

That’s why we’re here to help.

This page provides clear and concise information about State Government subsidies in addition to your Child Care Subsidy (CCS), depending on your eligibility. These programs make kindergarten or preschool more affordable for your family. Our goal is to ensure that you have all the information you need to make informed decisions about your child’s education and care and maximise the time they spend getting the best start to life.

* Important note: This information is correct as of April 2023.

Queensland Kindy Savings

The Queensland Government has introduced the Kindy Savings program to make Kindergarten more affordable and more accessible for all families.

What is it?

• For eligible families: The Queensland Government will reduce your out-of-pocket costs (gap fees) for your long day care Kindergarten program by up to $500 per year.

Who can get it?

Eligibility for help with gap fees is for:

• Families who receive the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) A or B.
• Children who are at least four years old by 30 June 2023.

How does it work?

• The fee relief will be passed on to families as a reduction in their gap fee. That is, the amount after CCS has been applied. This means families won’t be out of pocket as they don’t need to claim savings back.

Queensland Kindergarten Fee Help in 2024

The Queensland Government has announced funding to offset the cost of Kindergarten in long day care and will replace the “Kindy Savings” program which runs until the 31^st December 2023.

What is it?

• The funding helps reduce fees for families with Kindergarten aged children at approved eligible Kindergarten services
• The funding will commence on the 1st January 2024 and is on top of any Child Care Subsidy a family may be receiving and is based on 15 hours a week (600 hours a year) of Kindergarten programming.

Who can get it?

• Children must be at least four years of age by 30 June in the year in which they are enrolled at an approved eligible Kindergarten program.

How does it work?

• Exact details of how this will work will be announced by the Queensland Government closer to 2024. However in general if eligible, the funding is paid directly to the family’s nominated childcare provider as a credit to reduce gap fees (after CCS has been applied).

See more information

New South Wales Fee Help

What is it?

• The NSW Government provides fee relief to families with children in a preschool program and may save up to $2,110 in their Gap Fees over the calendar year. This is in addition to the CCS and is not means-tested.

Who can get it?

• Families with children who are at least four years old by 31 July 2023 and in a preschool program. Families can only access fee relief from one service at a time. Enrolled families must complete a declaration form and nominate one service from which they would like to receive the fee relief. The fee relief will be passed on to families as a reduction in their gap fees. The reduction in their gap fee will be reflected in the statement that they receive from the Centre.

How does it work?

• The subsidy is a dollar amount and is applied to the total number of weeks that the service is open across the year. If applied over 52 weeks, families can have their gap fee reduced by about $40 a week after CCS has been applied.

More information See: Start Strong for families

Victoria Kindergarten Subsidy

The Victorian Government offers funding to offset the fees for three and four-year-old children that are part of the centre’s funded Kindergarten program.

What is it?

• The funding helps reduce fees for families with three and for four-year-old children in approved Kindergarten programs. The funding is on top of any Child Care Subsidy a family may be receiving and is based on a set number of hours of kindergarten programming, which equates to a dollar amount. Funding for 15 hours per week would be the equivalent of up to $2,000 a year per eligible child.

Who can get it?

• All children that are part of the centre’s funded Kindergarten program at a participating service are eligible for this subsidy. Only one service can receive the funding, so families must nominate the service they want to receive it. If families receive a subsidy for more than one service, they may need to pay these fees back to the Government.

How does it work?

• If eligible, the funding is allocated as a credit to reduce gap fees (after CCS has been applied) In 2023, Families needed to complete and sign a declaration form that confirms that our service is their funded Kindergarten program. This form is then submitted to the Department of Education on their behalf, which will allow us to receive the subsidy for their fees.

More information See: Kindergarten Subsidy