四虎影院

Child Care Subsidy

Your聽investment in聽your聽child鈥檚 early education and care is significant, which is why access to the Australian Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is so important. Understanding the聽CCS聽and how to make the most of the benefits can make聽a substantial difference聽to the family budget聽鈥 and to your child鈥檚 early learning outcomes.

ccs-child-care-subsidy

What is the Child Care Subsidy?

The CCS is a part-payment by the Australian Government to offset the cost of early education and聽childcare聽for Australian families.聽How much you receive depends on your family鈥檚 individual circumstances.

How much CCS is my family聽eligible聽for?

Your CCS is calculated using three factors:

  1. Your聽combined聽family income.聽Your family鈥檚聽combined聽income will help聽determine聽the CCS percentage聽you鈥檙e聽entitled to. As a general principle, the聽child care聽subsidy decreases as a family鈥檚聽combined聽income increases. You will need to update Centrelink whenever your聽combined聽income increases or decreases 鈥 this can be done at any time through your Centrelink online account through聽聽or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
  2. Your level of 鈥榓ctivity.鈥聽Your CSS is also affected by how much 鈥渁ctivity鈥澛犫斅燽oth paid and unpaid聽鈥斅爕our family contributes to the Australian economy.聽This is calculated based on the parent with the lowest hours of activity per fortnight.聽Activity includes paid work, authorised leave (such as parental leave), unpaid work in a family business, time spent setting up a business, training and studying, volunteering, looking for work, and more.聽There are some exemptions to the 鈥楢ctivity Test,鈥櫬爏uch as for low-income families, individuals聽receiving聽Carer鈥檚 allowance and more.
  3. Your childcare provider鈥檚 hourly rate. The third factor taken into consideration when calculating your CCS is the hourly rate charged by your childcare provider. Your CCS is calculated according to whichever is the lowest of the centre鈥檚 actual hourly fee or the Hourly Rate Cap of $13.73 per hour.

How can my family maximise our CCS?

Here are some helpful steps families can take before you enrol your child to ensure the CCS is paid correctly and on time:

  1. Register early.聽Ensure your聽聽account is set up and you have registered for the Child Care Subsidy at least 28 working days before your child鈥檚 first attendance. This will reduce the risk of you paying full fees in the first few weeks. Two weeks before your child鈥檚 first attendance, ask your Centre Manager to confirm your child鈥檚 enrolment so any issues can be resolved before you start paying fees.

  2. Count every hour of approved activity.聽For the lower income earner in the family, your approved activity hours are the 鈥榙eciding factor鈥 in how many hours of聽child care聽the Australian Government will聽subsidise聽for your child. Approved Activity includes work, studying and volunteering, and each of those approved activities need to meet the definition provided by Centrelink. Understand what counts, and report every hour, to ensure you receive what you are entitled to. Visit the Child Care Subsidy Activity Test to see your eligibility. Your Centre Manager or our Family Support Team are also available to聽provide聽information.

  3. Use flexible sessions.聽Our Lifelong Learning Centres聽offer families聽flexibility between 10-hour or聽full-day sessions, so they can use their subsidised聽child care聽hours over more days. In some centres we also offer 9-hour or shorter sessions. Please discuss the best聽option聽for your family when you enrol.

  4. Provide your Child Care Subsidy entitlement letter聽with your enrolment or send us a screen shot from your聽myGov聽page, so we can clearly see what you are entitled to receive.

  5. Be specific.聽Your written agreement with your child鈥檚 early education centre should clearly聽state聽which days they will attend, so the Centre Manager can accurately report this to Centrelink, and you聽won鈥檛聽miss out on聽the CCS for any days your child attends.

Need more advice or information? Our Family Support Consultants are ready to answer your questions, and they鈥檙e available Monday to Friday on 1800 CHILD CARE, or use the contact us form on the website.