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Child Care Subsidy Calculator

Child Care Subsidy Calculator - Get a Quick Estimate

It takes less than 30 seconds to calculate your Child Care Subsidy. Find out how much your family could claim.

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a government payment available to families to help cover the costs of childcare. The subsidy is paid directly to your child’s early learning provider to reduce the amount of fees that you pay out-of-pocket.

Your out-of-pocket costs depend on how much CCS you are entitled to, depending on your family’s individual situation. If your circumstances change, it’s important to update your details to ensure you continue to receive the best support, entitlements, and care possible.

Get Started

Your CCS is paid directly to your provider and how much child care benefit you are eligible for is based on:

  • The number of days that you actively care for your child
  • You meet the Australian residency rules (insert link)
  • Pay fees at an approved childcare centre
  • Your child must also meet the immunisation requirements and not be attending secondary school unless an exemption applies.

For further information please refer to CCS Information.

Some families may be eligible for additional subsidy benefits. Eligibility criteria includes:

  • A grandparent
  • Experiencing financial hardship that is of a temporary nature
  • Transitioning to work
  • Caring for a vulnerable or at-risk child.

For further information please refer to ACCS Information.

The amount of CCS you can receive is dependent on:

The amount of subsidised childcare you can access per fortnight applies to each child.

Please note any time that your income or activity changes, you will need to report the change to Centrelink to ensure that you continue to receive the correct amount of CCS.

To apply for CCS:

  1. Apply for your customer reference number (CRN) from Centrelink
  1. Create an online account
  2. Create a MyGov account if you don’t already have one
  3. Complete your Child Care Subsidy assessment, then make a claim.

If you already have access to the first three steps, go directly to step four which can be done by logging into your MyGov account.

The CCS payments are paid directly to the childcare provider your child attends and are calculated against your daily fees so you can pay your portion of the costs.

It takes under a minute to find out what portion of subsidised childcare you are eligible for. The calculator will give you a guide about your out-of-pocket costs.

Please note it is a guide to give your indicative out of pocket amounts.

Step 1: Service Information: Enter information about the Busy Bees Centre you wish to attend. This will calculate childcare fees costs and hours spent in childcare, the subsidy calculator will estimate your weekly and fortnightly out-of-pocket costs.

Step 2: Activity Test: Determine if you meet the activity test requirements to qualify for the CCS. If you meet the recognised activity test guidelines, you will be asked further questions, and the calculator will estimate what portion of CCS you are eligible for.

Step 3: Family Information: This third step asks how many children will be attending childcare centres or other services. It also asks whether you know your percentage, and if you don’t, it will calculate it based on the activity test and your taxable income.

Calculate Your Child Care Subsidy

To discover your out-of-pocket expenses, use our CCS estimator below.

Please note, this is an estimate only and may be subject to changes dependent on your family’s situation. 

Step 1: Service Information
Step 2: Activity Test
Step 3: Family Information

Your estimate for the Child Care Subsidy

Total

Per Week Per Fortnight
Estimated Child Care Subsidy

$

$
Estimated out-of-pocket expenses

$

$
  • The Government will withhold 5% of your weekly CCS entitlement, which is reflected in our estimates.
  • The estimator does not take into account that you may be eligible for the Additional Child Care Subsidy.
  • The estimator does not consider that families with First Nations children in their care can receive at least 36 hours of subsidised childcare per fortnight.

Remember, this is an estimate only. Changes to centre fees, the law, policy, or your individual circumstances may mean that any Child Care Subsidy you actually are entitled to differs from the amount estimated.

To discuss your enrolment options with our friendly enrolment team, enquire now.