We’ve declared a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) period of emergency in parts of NSW due to the impact of flooding.
The CCS period of emergency applies from 19 May 2025 to 23 May 2025 in the following local government areas:
- Maitland City Council
- Dungog Shire Council
- Central Coast Council
- MidCoast Council
- Port Stephens Council
- Port Macquarie Hastings Council.
We continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as required.
Support during the emergency
The following support is available in affected regions during the CCS period of emergency:
- you can continue to get CCS if your service closes as a direct result of the emergency
- you can waive the gap fee if a child doesn’t attend, or your service is closed, during the CCS period of emergency
- families will get unlimited allowable absences for the duration of the CCS period of emergency.
Read more about support during a CCS period of emergency.
Join our Facebook group for alerts and updates.
Recovery after the emergency
Some services may be eligible for a Community Child Care Fund special circumstances grant. Read the eligibility criteria before applying.
Read more about recovery after an emergency on our website.
Families can access:
- additional absences if they’ve exhausted their allowable absences
- Additional Child Care Subsidy if they experience temporary financial hardship due to an emergency that happened in the last 6 months.
Other disaster support
The Australian Government provides help for people affected by natural disasters. Find out whether you're eligible on the Services Australia website.
Your state or territory government may provide additional support in the event of a natural disaster. Find out more at Emergency NSW.