Child Care Subsidy

What Goulburn Families Need to Know About the Child Care Subsidy

Paying for childcare can be one of the biggest expenses for families. The Australian Government’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) reduces the fees you pay directly to your approved childcare provider. This page explains how CCS works, who’s eligible, current rates and thresholds, how to estimate your benefit, what’s changing, and how to apply—plus practical notes for families in Goulburn.

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What is the Child Care Subsidy?

The Child Care Subsidy is Australia’s main financial support to make day care, preschool, and early learning more affordable. The government pays your approved service on your behalf, and your fees are reduced by your CCS amount. You pay the remaining “gap fee.” There is no annual cap on CCS.

In short, your CCS depends on three things:

1. The hourly rate cap for your care type (CCS applies to the lower of your service’s fee or the government cap)
2. Family income (sets your CCS percentage, up to 90%)
3. Recognised activity (sets how many subsidised hours you can claim each fortnight)

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Child Care Subsidy in Goulburn

While the Child Care Subsidy is a national program, the way families experience it can vary depending on local childcare options. In Goulburn, parents can access the Child Care Subsidy through long day care centres, preschools, and family day care providers that are approved by the government. Many services in the region are familiar with subsidy processes and can help families understand how fee reductions apply to their specific enrolment.

Because childcare costs differ by service type, hourly rate, and location, Goulburn families may notice differences in their out-of-pocket costs compared to metropolitan areas. Using the subsidy in combination with local services can make high-quality early education more affordable without needing to travel outside the region.

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Who Can Get the Child Care Subsidy?

To be eligible, you must:

• Live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold an approved visa
• Be responsible for paying the childcare fees
• Use a childcare service that is approved by the government
• Care for a child aged under 13 who is not attending secondary school (with some exceptions)
• Ensure your child meets immunisation requirements

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How Much Child Care Subsidy Can You Get?

A) CCS percentage by family income (guide for 2025–26)
• Up to 90% CCS for family income to around $85,279
• The CCS percentage then tapers down as income rises (about 1 percentage point for every $5,000 over the lower threshold)
• No CCS is payable above a very high income threshold (around $531,602)

B) Hourly rate caps (from 7 July 2025, 2025–26 amounts)
• Centre Based Day Care (below school age): $14.63 per hour
• Centre Based Day Care (school age) and OSHC: $12.81 per hour
• Family Day Care: $13.56 per hour
• In Home Care (per family): $39.80 per hour
Note: If a service charges above the cap, CCS only applies up to the cap and you pay the remainder as the gap fee. Weekend/public holiday caps may differ.

C) Recognised activity and subsidised hours (per child, per fortnight)
• 0–8 hours of activity: generally 0 subsidised hours (see important exemptions below)
• 8–16 hours of activity: up to 36 subsidised hours
• 16–48 hours of activity: up to 72 subsidised hours
• 48+ hours of activity: up to 100 subsidised hours

Important exemptions:
• Low-income families (under the indexed low-income threshold, about $85,279 in 2025–26) can access at least 24 subsidised hours per fortnight even with no recognised activity.
• Children in a preschool program may be eligible for additional subsidised hours.
• First Nations families may have access to a guaranteed number of subsidised hours regardless of activity (check current Services Australia rules when you apply).

Multiple children:
• If you have more than one child under five in care at the same time, a higher CCS percentage may apply to your younger child(ren), reducing your total out-of-pocket cost.

Gap fee:
• You must pay the gap fee (your share after CCS) electronically. Services cannot waive the entire fee.

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Estimate Your Child Care Subsidy

Understanding how the Child Care Subsidy works is one thing — but knowing what it means for your own family is even more valuable. That’s why we’ve created a simple CCS Calculator designed for Goulburn families. It lets you enter your income, activity hours, service type, and hourly fees to estimate your subsidy percentage, subsidised hours, and out-of-pocket costs.

Try the Child Care Subsidy Calculator now and get a clearer picture of how much support you may receive before you enrol.

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Recent & Upcoming Changes to CCS

New reforms are being introduced to make CCS more accessible:

• Three-Day Guarantee—From January 2026, families will be guaranteed at least three days of subsidised care per week, regardless of activity levels.
• Expanded Eligibility—Raising income thresholds and adjusting subsidy rates are designed to support more families.

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What About Absence Days and Overpayment?

You can still receive CCS for up to 42 absence days per child per financial year—useful when your child is sick or away. No documentation is typically required.

If you’ve received too much subsidy (e.g., due to income changes), the government may withhold 5% of your CCS during the year to offset potential overpayments. You’ll either owe a debt or receive a lump sum when things are reconciled.

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How to Apply & Manage Your CCS

Here are the steps to claim and manage your CCS:

1. Log in to your myGov account and link to Centrelink
2. Go to “Make a claim”, select “Family assistance”, then choose “Child Care Subsidy”
3. Provide accurate income and activity details
4. Once your claim is approved, you’ll receive an assessment notice showing your subsidy percentage, hours per fortnight, and fee caps

You can adjust details later (e.g. income, activity levels) through your myGov account to keep subsidy calculations correct.

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Final Thoughts for Goulburn Families

The CCS makes childcare more affordable and accessible for many families. Understanding eligibility, subsidy rates, and how to apply is key to budgeting and planning care for your child. With upcoming reforms—and practical features like absence days and multiple child benefits—this support remains a valuable resource for families in Goulburn and across Australia.

Understanding the Child Care Subsidy is essential for making the most of early education in Goulburn. By learning how it works, who is eligible, and how much you can claim, your family can save thousands each year while giving your child access to quality care. Whether you use long day care, family day care, or vacation care, the CCS helps reduce financial pressure and opens the door to more opportunities for your child’s growth.

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