Childcare Subsidy Calculator
What is the Child Care Subsidy?
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is an Australian Government initiative that helps eligible families with the cost of approved early childhood education and care.
The amount your family may receive depends on your individual circumstances. Use our Childcare Subsidy Calculator to estimate your potential CCS and understand what your out-of-pocket childcare fees may look like.
Your calculation is an estimate only. Your official CCS eligibility and entitlement are determined by Services Australia.
How Child Care Subsidy Works
Estimate Your Childcare Costs
Answer a few questions about your family, preferred Kids Club centre and childcare needs. Our calculator will use this information to estimate your Child Care Subsidy and potential out-of-pocket fees.
Your result is an estimate only. Your official CCS entitlement is determined by Services Australia.
Before you start it helps to have:
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Your estimated combined annual family income
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Your preferred Kids Club centre
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Your child’s age
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The number of care days you may need each week
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Your current CCS percentage, if you already receive CCS
What Affects Your Child Care Subsidy?
72 Hours
Per Child
Per Fortnight
The 3 Day Guarantee
From 5 January 2026, all CCS-eligible families can access at least 72 hours of subsidised early childhood education and care per child per fortnight, equivalent to three days per week.
Families may receive 100 subsidised hours per fortnight if they meet recognised participation requirements or have an eligible exemption. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can also access 100 hours.
The 3 Day Guarantee does not mean three free days of childcare. CCS is applied to eligible fees and families will generally still pay a gap fee.
More Included in Every Day
Your Kids Club daily fee includes everyday essentials, learning experiences and family updates, helping make childcare simpler for your family.
- Fresh meals prepared daily by our in-house chefs
- Nappies, wipes and sunscreen
- A Kids Club backpack, hat, shirt, jacket and water bottle
- Fee-inclusive incursions, excursions and extracurricular experiences
- Play-based learning and School Readiness programs
- Daily updates through the OWNA app
More included for your child. Less for your family to organise.
Programs and experiences vary between Kids Club centres and are thoughtfully selected around children’s interests, family input and the communities surrounding each centre
Child Care Subsidy Frequently Asked Questions
How do I claim Child Care Subsidy?
You can apply for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) through your Centrelink online account via myGov. Before you apply, make sure your Centrelink online account is linked to your myGov account.
Once your CCS claim has been approved, you’ll also need to confirm your child’s enrolment details through Centrelink before your subsidy can be applied.
Please be aware that it can take a few weeks for your CCS claim to be processed.
What is the CCS Activity Test?
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Activity Test helps determine how many hours of subsidised childcare your family can access each fortnight. It looks at the recognised activities completed by both parents (or a single parent), such as:
- Paid work (including self-employment)
- Paid or unpaid leave
- Studying or training
- Looking for work
- Volunteering
The number of subsidised hours you receive is based on the parent with the lower level of recognised activity. Your family’s combined income is then used separately to calculate the percentage of Child Care Subsidy you’re entitled to receive.
From 5 January 2026, many families are also eligible for the Three Day Guarantee, which provides at least 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight (equivalent to three days per week) for children who meet the eligibility requirements, even if they don’t meet the traditional Activity Test.
To check your family’s eligibility, recognised activities and estimated subsidy, visit Services Australia or use our Child Care Subsidy Calculator to estimate your out-of-pocket childcare costs.
What information do I need to provide to Kids Club?
To have your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) applied to your childcare fees, you’ll first need to submit a CCS claim through Centrelink and receive your eligibility assessment.
Please provide Kids Club with:
- The claiming parent or guardian’s Customer Reference Number (CRN)
- Each enrolled child’s Customer Reference Number (CRN) (each child requires an individual CCS assessment)
Once we have these details, we’ll submit your child’s enrolment to Centrelink. You’ll then need to confirm the enrolment through your myGov account (or the Express Plus Centrelink app) before your CCS can be applied to your fees.
If you need any assistance throughout the process, our Enrolments Team is here to help.
Why is my CCS less than I expected?
There are several reasons why your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) may be lower than you expected.
Your subsidy is based on your combined family income, recognised activity hours, and the hourly rate cap set by the Australian Government. If your childcare service charges more than the hourly rate cap, you’ll need to pay the difference, as CCS only applies to the lower of your service’s hourly fee or the government cap. From 6 July 2026, the Centre Based Day Care hourly rate cap is $15.19 per hour for children below school age.
You may also choose to have up to 5% of your CCS withheld throughout the financial year to help reduce the likelihood of an overpayment or debt when your entitlement is balanced by Services Australia.
If you’re unsure why your subsidy has changed, you can update your family income estimate and activity details with Services Australia or use our Child Care Subsidy Calculator to estimate your out-of-pocket childcare fees.
How do hourly rate caps work?
The Australian Government sets an hourly rate cap, which is the maximum hourly fee used to calculate your Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Your CCS percentage is applied to the lower of:
- Your childcare service’s hourly fee, or
- The government’s hourly rate cap.
To work out the hourly fee, the daily session fee is divided by the number of hours in the session.
For example:
Riley attends a Kids Club centre that charges $170.00 for an 11-hour session.
- Daily fee: $170.00
- Session length: 11 hours
- Hourly fee: $15.45 per hour
Because the hourly fee is higher than the current Centre Based Day Care hourly rate cap of $15.19 per hour (from 6 July 2026), Riley’s CCS percentage is applied to $15.19 per hour, not the full hourly fee. Riley’s family pays the remaining difference as part of their out-of-pocket childcare costs.
Does the 3 Day Guarantee mean three free days?
No. The 3 Day Guarantee gives CCS-eligible families access to at least 72 hours of subsidised care per child, per fortnight, equivalent to three days per week. It does not cover the full cost of care.
Your CCS will be applied to your eligible childcare fees and your family will generally need to pay the remaining gap amount. The amount you pay will depend on your CCS percentage, subsidised hours and the applicable hourly rate cap.
What happens if CCS is not approved before care begins?
If your CCS has not been approved and applied by your child’s commencement date, you may be required to pay the full childcare fee until the subsidy is processed.
Once Centrelink confirms your entitlement and your enrolment has been approved, any eligible backdated CCS payments are generally applied to your Kids Club account. We recommend submitting your CCS claim as early as possible before care begins.
When can I apply for Child Care Subsidy?
You can apply for CCS before your child begins care and we recommend completing your claim as early as possible through your Centrelink online account linked to myGov.
Once your CCS starts, your child must physically attend at least one childcare session within the first 26 weeks. If they do not attend within this period, their CCS eligibility will stop and you will need to submit a new claim before receiving the subsidy again.
