What is the Child Care Subsidy?
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is the Australian Government's main financial assistance program for families using approved childcare. It's paid directly to your childcare provider, who reduces your fees by that amount. You only pay the gap.
The subsidy is a percentage of either your hourly fee or the relevant hourly rate cap, whichever is lower. The percentage you receive depends on your family income, the activity test, and your child's age.
Who is eligible?
To receive CCS, you must:
- Be the person responsible for paying childcare fees
- Care for the child at least 2 nights per fortnight (or 14% of the time)
- Meet residency requirements
- Have a child who meets immunisation requirements
- Use an approved CCS provider (all four Eikoh centres are approved)
How much you'll receive
Three things determine your CCS percentage:
1. Family income (2025-26)
- Under $85,279: 90% subsidy (the maximum)
- $85,279 to $180,000 (approximately): subsidy reduces by 1% for every $5,000 above $85,279
- Above approximately $530,000: subsidy reduces toward zero
- $535,279 or more: no CCS
2. Activity test (less critical from January 2026)
The activity test measures recognised activity (work, study, training, volunteering, looking for work) and previously determined how many hours of subsidised care you received per fortnight.
Major change · from 5 January 2026
Under the new 3 Day Guarantee, all CCS-eligible families now receive a minimum of 72 hours per fortnight of subsidised care (the equivalent of 3 days per week), regardless of activity. The activity test only matters if you want more than 72 hours per fortnight.
First Nations families receive a guaranteed 100 hours per fortnight.
3. Hourly rate cap (2025-26)
The government caps the hourly fee it will subsidise. If your provider charges more than the cap, you pay the full difference.
- Centre-based day care (under school age): $14.63 per hour
- Family day care: $13.56 per hour
- Outside school hours care (school age): $12.81 per hour
For details, see the CCS hourly rate cap page.
How to apply
You apply directly through Services Australia, not through us:
- Log in to myGov (create an account if you don't have one)
- Link your Centrelink account (you may need to phone Services Australia to do this)
- Submit a Child Care Subsidy claim through your Centrelink online account
- Services Australia assesses your eligibility (typically within 4 weeks)
- Once approved, provide your Customer Reference Number (CRN) to your childcare centre
- The subsidy is paid directly to us and reduces your fees
Multiple children: the higher CCS rate
Families with more than one child aged 5 or under, with combined family income below $367,563, may receive a higher subsidy rate for the second and younger children. This was introduced to make care more affordable for larger families.
The Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS)
If your family is in special circumstances, you may qualify for the Additional Child Care Subsidy on top of regular CCS:
- Grandparent (carrying the primary care role)
- Temporary financial hardship
- Transition to work from income support
- Child wellbeing (children at risk)
For details, see Services Australia.
Confirming your enrolment
After we add your child to our system, you must confirm the enrolment in your Centrelink online account before CCS will start being paid. Without confirmation, you'll be charged the full fee.
Useful tools
- CCS gap fee calculator: estimate your out-of-pocket fees
- CCS hourly rate cap explained: understand the cap and why it matters
- Confirming enrolment in Centrelink: the step-by-step
- Do you pay for absent days?: the 42-day allowance and how it works