A Child Care Subsidy (CCS) period of emergency was applied in parts of Queensland due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Narelle.
The CCS period of emergency applied from 20 to 29 March 2026 in the following local government areas:
- Aurukun
- Banana
- Barcaldine
- Barcoo
- Blackall-Tambo
- Boulia
- Bulloo
- Bundaberg
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Cairns
- Carpentaria
- Cassowary Coast
- Central Highlands
- Charters Towers
- Cherbourg
- Cloncurry
- Cook
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Doomadgee
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Fraser Coast
- Gladstone
- Gympie
- Hinchinbrook
- Hope Vale
- Isaac
- Kowanyama
- Livingstone
- Lockhart River
- Longreach
- Mackay
- Mapoon
- Maranoa
- Mareeba
- McKinlay
- Mornington
- Mount Isa
- Napranum
- North Burnett
- Northern Peninsula Area
- Palm Island
- Pormpuraaw
- Quilpie
- Richmond
- Rockhampton
- Somerset
- South Burnett
- Tablelands
- Torres
- Torres Strait Island
- Townsville
- Western Downs
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Wujal Wujal
- Yarrabah.
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 for a full day, during the CCS period of emergency
- families will get unlimited allowable absences for the duration of the CCS period of emergency.
A gap fee waiver is a type of provider discount. You must report the type and amount of prescribed discounts in session reports if they have been applied for the session.
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.
Families may be able to 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.
Read more about recovery after an emergency on our website.
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 qld.gov.au/emergency.