Choosing care and kindergarten for your family is a big decision, let alone understanding how much you’ll pay for it. Understanding the funding available can make quality early learning more accessible. With various government subsidies and programs available, it’s worth knowing what support you might be entitled to.
How CCS Works
The subsidy is paid directly to your childcare provider, reducing the fees you pay each week. The amount you receive depends on three key factors:
- Family Income: Higher subsidies are available for families with lower incomes, with subsidy rates ranging from 90% down to 0% of childcare costs.
- Activity Test: Both parents generally need to be working, studying, or volunteering to qualify. The hours of subsidy you receive match your activity hours, from 36 hours per fortnight up to 100 hours.
- Type of Care: CCS applies to approved childcare services. Cire Early Learning’s centres at Croydon, Lilydale, Mt Evelyn, and Yarra Junction offer long day care subsidised by the CCS.
How Much Do Families Receive?
This depends on the family. Everyone has different needs and circumstances, and this is reflected in the CCS.
To access CCS, you’ll need to input information about your family’s earnings and activity level.
Family Income
Your percentage (the amount of the total subsidy you receive) reflects your combined family income. Families who earn less will receive a higher percentage.
| Yearly Family Income | Expected Subsidy Percentage |
| Up to $80,000* | 90% |
| Over $80,000 to below $530,000 | Between 90% and 0% |
| $530,000 or more | 0% |
If your family income is over $80,000, the subsidy percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000. And if you have more than one child attending care 5 years old or under, they will receive a higher percentage.
Find out your subsidy amount with Services Australia: Child Care Subsidy Payment Finder.
Fortnightly Activity Level
The goal of CCS is to support parents and carers return to work or study. The ‘activity test’ will ask you about the number of hours you work, study, or volunteer, and this will affect how many hours of subsidised care you can access per child, per fortnight.
For families with two parents, the number is based on the person with the lower number of activity hours.
The activities include:
- Paid employment (including self-employment)
- Approved study or training
- Unpaid work in a family business
- Actively looking for work
- Volunteering
- Paid and unpaid leave (including parental leave)
Here’s a guide to the number of subsidised hours you can access, based on your activity level. Put simply, the more activity hours you have, the more hours will be subsidised for your children’s care.
| Fortnightly Activity Hours | Fortnightly Maximum Number of Subsidised Hours of Care Per Child |
| Up to 8 hours | 36 hours |
| Between 8 to 16 hours | 36 hours |
| Between 16 to 48 hours | 72 hours |
| More than 48 hours | 100 hours |
Who’s Eligible for CCS?
To receive CCS, your family must meet Australian residency requirements, and your child must be 13 years or under (or up to 18 for children with additional needs). Most families earning under $530,000 per year will receive some level of subsidy.
Curious about what services you receive? Explore Cire’s long day care programs.
Victorian Free Kindergarten
In addition to federal support, all families (regardless of citizenship or residency status) have access to Free Kindergarten. This state government initiative covers up to 15 hours per week of kindergarten programs for four-year-olds and up to 5 hours per week for three-year-olds.
From this year, four-year-old kindergarten will become ‘Pre-Prep’, and the number of hours will gradually increase from 15 to 30.
Like CCS, this is paid directly to your kindergarten provider so you won’t be out of pocket.
How These Programs Work Together
The beauty of the current system is that these funding streams can complement each other. For example:
Funding at Cire Early Learning
Families at Cire can make use of both CCS and Free Kinder. As a not-for-profit organisation, all government funding we receive goes directly back into improving our services and programs.
A quality kindergarten program can give your child the best start in life. Explore Cire Early Learning’s kinder programs to find out how.
Getting Started
Understanding your entitlements is the first step toward accessing affordable, quality childcare. The Australian Government’s childcare finder website can help you estimate your potential subsidy with subsidy calculators. Speaking directly with organisations like Cire can help you understand how funding applies to your specific situation.
These programs exist to support families in accessing early childhood education and care. Don’t hesitate to ask questions – we’re here to help you navigate the options and find the right solution for your family.
Enquire now to have your questions answered by our friendly team.
