The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) helps eligible families access approved and registered child care providers, by partially subsidising the cost of daily fees. From 10 July 2023, the Child Care Subsidy is changing to make child care more affordable for families. Find out more on the Services Australia website.
CCS is provided by the Federal Government and is managed through their Services Australia agency.
Administration of CCS is completed through Centrelink which can be accessed online via the myGov web portal.
The amount of subsidy families receive is calculated by a number of factors including:
- activity level
- combined family income
- service type
- hourly rates
We developed the summary guide below to assist families in understanding these factors.
Further advice is also available on the Services Australia website.
Is your child child attending kindergarten in 2023? Families can expect to save up to $2,500 over the 2023 calendar year for each child enrolled in our funded kindergarten programs. This additional funding is part of the Victorian Government's Free Kinder initiative.
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Activity Level
The amount of recognised activities completed in a fortnight such as paid work, study, volunteering.
Graph 1: Hours of Activity
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Combined Family Income
The family income estimate determines the amount of subsidy which will offered to you.
Graph 2: Combined Family Income
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Service Type and Hourly Rates
The amount of Child Care Subsidy you can receive depends on the type of service you use, the hourly rates and age of your child. Visit the Department of Human Services website for further information. See below for a summary of hourly rates for our services.
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Additional Child Care Subsidy
The Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) is in place to provide additional support with the cost of child care for eligible families.
To get this you must be eligible for Child Care Subsidy and be one of the following:
- an eligible grandparent getting an income support payment
- transitioning from certain income support payments to work
- experiencing temporary financial hardship
- caring for a child who is vulnerable or at risk of harm, abuse or neglect.
Visit the Services Australia website for further details on ACCS.
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5% Withholding on Payments
Some families are unable to estimate their income accurately ahead of time, so Centrelink withhold 5% of your CCS each fortnight to reduce the likelihood of overpayment.
This means if you overestimated your family income and didn’t receive enough CCS, the outstanding amount will be paid directly to you. This will include the 5% payment withheld over the year.
If you underestimated your annual family income you may have a debt which you’ll need to pay back. The 5% amount withheld will be used to reduce the debt.
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