Child Care Subsidy (CCS) helps families with the costs of child care. Families must meet eligibility criteria to get CCS. The amount of CCS a family can get depends on their circumstances.
On this page:
The information on this page is for providers and services that administer CCS. Families can learn more about CCS and lodge a claim on the Services Australia website.
From 5 January 2026, all CCS eligible families can now get at least 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. Families can get 100 hours of subsidised care each fortnight in certain circumstances. Find out more.
Family eligibility
Families must meet eligibility criteria to get CCS.
The parent must:
- care for their child at least 2 nights per fortnight or have 14% share of care
- be liable for child care fees at an approved early childhood education and care service
- meet residency requirements.
Their child must:
- meet immunisation requirements
- not be attending secondary school (unless an exemption applies)
- be 13 or under (except in certain circumstances).
If a child doesn’t attend a session of care at least once in 26 consecutive weeks, they will stop being eligible for CCS. If a child starts to attend care again, a family can make a new claim for CCS.
Family entitlement
The amount of CCS a family can get depends on their circumstances.
Services Australia looks at:
- a family’s income
- how many children a family has in their care
- the age of the children in their care
- whether the child identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- a family’s participation level
- the type of care a family uses.
3 Day Guarantee
All CCS eligible families can now get at least 72 hours of subsidised child care per fortnight.
Families can get 100 hours of subsidised child care each fortnight for each child if they:
- care for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child
- have more than 48 hours of recognised participation each fortnight
- have an exemption or experience exceptional circumstances
- receive Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) child wellbeing, temporary financial hardship or grandparent payments.
Families that already receive CCS will automatically get 72 or 100 hours of subsidy based on their circumstances. They do not have to provide any additional information.
For new families applying for CCS, or families wishing to update their CCS claim from 5 January 2026, a simplified application process will apply.
Families must still pay a gap fee, except in certain circumstances.
Subsidised hours
| Your situation | Hours of subsidised care each fortnight per child |
|---|---|
| 48 hours or less of recognised participation each fortnight | 72 hours |
More than 48 hours of recognised participation each fortnight Caring for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child Approved exemptions Getting ACCS child wellbeing, temporary financial hardship or grandparent payments | 100 hours |
Family income
Services Australia works out a family’s CCS percentage based on their family income estimate.
A family’s CCS subsidy rate is the percentage of the hourly rate the government will subsidise. It will apply to the hourly fee or the relevant hourly rate cap, whichever is lower.
CCS rates 2025-26
| Family income | Subsidy rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $85,279 | 90% |
| More than $85,279 to below $535,279 | Between 90% and 0% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000 of income a family earns |
| $535,279 or more | 0% |
Number of children in care
Families with more than one child aged 5 or under in care may get a higher subsidy for their second child and younger children, based on the ‘standard rate child’ and ‘higher rate child’ definitions. Siblings do not need to attend the same service to get the higher subsidy.
The rates for each child are worked out using two separate income tests.
- The ‘standard rate child’ is usually the eldest CCS eligible child aged 5 or under. The standard rate child will get the standard CCS rates.
- The ‘higher rate child’ is the second and any younger children aged 5 or under. The higher rate for second and younger children is calculated using the rates for second and younger children.
Rates for second and younger children 2025-26
| Family income | Second and younger children subsidy rate |
|---|---|
| $0 to $143,273 | 95% |
| More than $143,273 to below $188,273 | Decreasing from 95% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns |
| $188,273 to below $267,563 | 80% |
| $267,563 to below $357,563 | Decreasing from 80% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns |
| $357,563 to below $367,563 | 50% |
| $367,563 or more | Higher CCS rates no longer apply, all children in the family will receive the standard CCS rate |
Combined families are where both members of a couple get CCS for different children in their family. Services Australia counts all CCS-eligible children in a combined family when determining entitlement to the higher rate for second and younger children.
In Home Care (IHC) sessions do not attract the higher subsidy. This is because IHC is subsidised per family, rather than per child.
Children who are entitled to both the higher subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) will be paid the ACCS rate.
Level of recognised participation
All families can get 72 hours of subsidised care a fortnight, regardless of their participation level.
Families can get more than 72 hours of subsidised care with higher levels of participation.
Services Australia looks at both parents’ level of recognised participation. They use the parent with the lower participation level to determine a family’s hours of subsidised care.
Families need to do a recognised participation type to get more than 72 hours of subsidised care a fortnight. Exemptions apply for parents who cannot meet participation requirements.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
Families can get at least 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight for each Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child in their care. This is regardless of the family’s participation level.
Families should tell Services Australia that they have an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child in their care if they would like to get 100 hours of subsidised care. It is voluntary to tell Services Australia this.
Families do not need to do anything if they already get 100 of subsidy based on their circumstances.
Families must still pay the gap fee, which is the difference between the provider’s fee and the CCS amount.
Care type
The amount of CCS a family can get depends on the type of care they use.
A family’s CCS percentage will apply to the lowest of either:
- the hourly rate cap
- the hourly fee you charge at your service.
The Australian Government does not set early childhood education and care fees or require services to charge on an hourly basis. The hourly rate caps are a guide for providers and families about what a ‘high fee’ might be.
2025–26 hourly rate caps
| Care type | Hourly rate cap for children below school age | Hourly rate cap for school-age children |
|---|---|---|
| Centre Based Day Care | $14.63 | $12.81 |
| Outside School Hours Care | $14.63 | $12.81 |
| Family Day Care | $13.56 | $13.56 |
| In Home Care (per family) | $39.80 | $39.80 |
Shared care
If a child’s parents are separated, both parents may be eligible for CCS if they:
- share care responsibilities, and
- are each liable for child care fees.
Each parent must lodge their own CCS claim. They will each need to meet the eligibility criteria outlined above.
The amount of CCS each parent can get will depend on their income and participation level as outlined above. Where a parent has re-partnered, their partner’s income and participation level will also be taken into account.
Combined families, with children from a current and previous relationship, are counted as a single family unit when determining entitlement to the higher rate for second and younger children.
Separated parents can find more information on the Services Australia website.
You must establish a separate care arrangement and enrolment notice for each parent.
You must identify which parent is responsible for each session of care in your session reports.
Learn more about session reports
Families can get CCS when their child is absent from care for up to 42 days per child, per financial year. The absence count is allocated per child, not to each individual parent.
More information
Families can get more information about CCS on the Services Australia website.
Families can use the CCS Calculator on the Starting Blocks website to find out what their CCS rates may be.
Privacy and Child Care Subsidy
Providers must comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Providers collect personal information from families and share this information with us so that families can get CCS. Providers must ensure families are aware that you collect and share this information.