The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a government subsidy that offers different levels of financial assistance to help cover the cost of childcare for Australian families. How much you receive depends on your individual circumstances. There is more information below about the CCS, how much you should receive and how to apply.
Your CCS is calculated using three components:
Your family’s combined income will help determine the CCS percentage you’re entitled to. Remember, you will need to contact Centrelink when your combined income increases or decreases – this can be done at any time through your Centrelink online account through myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
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$0 |
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*These
amounts are correct for 2020-21 (from 13 July 2020) and may be
adjusted according to CPI.
CCS is linked to how much a family contributes to the Australian economy through activity – both paid and unpaid. This activity level is calculated from the parent with the lowest number of hours of activity per fortnight.
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| 36 |
| 72 |
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There are some exemptions to the activity test.
The third factor taken into consideration when calculating your CCS is the hourly rate charged by your childcare provider. CCS is calculated according to whichever is the lowest:
Temporary changes have been made to help families whose activity levels have dropped as a result of COVID-19. From 13 July 2020 to 4 October 2020, impacted families can access up to 100 hours of subsidised childcare, per child, per fortnight. To be eligible, families must have experienced a reduction in their number of hours of recognised activity compared to pre-COVID-19. This is also available for two-parent families – where one or both parents have experienced reduced activity compared to pre-COVID-19. Both parents must still be engaged in at least eight hours of recognised activity per fortnight to be eligible for this additional subsidised care. To access this, you must update your activity levels with Centrelink via your Centrelink online account through myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
Free childcare under the Government’s ‘Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package’ ended on 12 July. From 13 July 2020, the regular Child Care Subsidy (CCS) returned.
From 13 July 2020, families again need to pay the ‘gap fee’. The gap fee is the fee payable by you over and above the CCS subsidy amount. It is often referred to as your out-of-pocket cost. NOTE: This excludes families located in areas subject to Stage 3 COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria who choose not to attend care.
Next steps will depend on your individual circumstances.
We are committed to providing the families in the community with high-quality Early Childhood learning and care service.
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