What is Child Care Subsidy (CCS)?

CCS - Child Care Subsidy, is the primary government assistance in Australia designed to aid families in covering childcare expenses. The subsidy amount you receive depends on your family circumstances and income, which can cover up to 90% of childcare costs.

CCS on Outside School Hours Care

Outside school hours care (OSHC) is a great way to enrich your child’s wellbeing.

Since 10 July 2023, childcare fees are cheaper for most families and more parents can access the CCS if your family earns under $530,000 per annum.

This means even more families can access quality programs such as our ‘Rise then Shine’ before school program, ‘Stay and Play’ after school program, and our Holiday HQ school holiday program at a very affordable rate.

• Families earning $80,000 or less will get a CCS rate of 90%.

• Families earning over $80,000 get a CCS rate that decreases by 1% for each $5,000 of family income. This rate reaches 0% for families earning $530,000 or more.

• Families earning below $362,408 with more than one child aged 5 or under in care can still get a higher rate for their other, younger children.

• On average, our families here at Helping Hands Network pay around $3.28* and less $5* out of pocket for our Before School and After School Programs respectively.

• For our Holiday HQ Program, inclusive of incursions and excursions, families on average, pay around $9.10* per day out of pocket.

Use our resources and discover more about the benefits of the CCS and how you can apply.

*Based on Australian average household income and average session fee

Centrelink and the Child Care Subsidy changes

If you receive Centrelink social security payments and have questions or need to update your information, we recommend visiting the Services Australia website. Their support staff can assist you further.

Visit the Services Australia contact us page for more information.

More information for schools

If you are part of a school’s administration, leadership or governance and would like more information, please reach out to your relevant Helping Hands Network contact.

We are happy to discuss the changes further with principals and understand any questions that parents may be raising at the school about the Child Care Subsidy changes.