How to apply for the worker retention payment

Guidance for early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers on how to apply for the worker retention payment.

On this page:

Read and understand the grant guidelines

The grant guidelines outline important details about the worker retention payment, including:

  • eligibility requirements
  • grant conditions
  • reporting requirements.

You must read and understand the grant guidelines before applying. 

The guidelines do not constitute business, investment, legal or tax advice. You may wish to seek independent professional advice before applying.

You should only apply if you:

  • meet the eligibility requirements
  • can meet the grant conditions
  • can meet the reporting requirements.

We understand that meeting certain conditions, like having a workplace instrument, may take time. We will backdate payments to 2 December 2024 if you apply by 30 June 2025.

Download the grant guidelines on GrantConnect.

Read a summary of the grant guidelines on our website.

Identify who needs to submit the application

The application must be completed by a person with management or control (PMC).

Before you apply, you must:

  • identify the PMC who will be completing the application
  • check their details are correctly listed in the Child Care Subsidy System. 

You can check your PMC details via the Provider Entry Point (PEP) or your third-party software. 

See our task card on how to update PMC details via the PEP. If you use third-party software, you’ll need to contact your software provider for help.

Please check these details carefully. If the person who applies is not listed as a PMC in the Child Care Subsidy System, we won’t be able to process your application quickly.

Gather provider and service details

The application will ask for details about you, the provider and each service included in the application. It is critical that you provide correct details so we can identify you.

Importantly, you will need the name and customer reference number (CRN) of:

  • you, the provider
  • each service included in the application.

A CRN is 9 numbers and ends with a letter. For example, 123 456 789A. 

The provider has one unique CRN. Each service also has its own unique CRN.

You can find your provider and service CRNs in the Child Care Subsidy System via the PEP or your third-party software.

Please check your details carefully. If you provide incorrect details, we won’t be able to process your application quickly.

Complete and submit the application

An online application form will be available soon.

You must be registered to use the application form. Registration is free.

You can submit a single application for up to 100 services. If you have more than 100 services, you will need to submit multiple applications.

How to get more help

We have comprehensive information about the worker retention payment on our website. 

If you have questions about the payment, contact ccshelpdesk@education.gov.au.

If you find an error in your application after submitting, contact us immediately at ccshelpdesk@education.gov.au.

For technical support with the application: