How the Child Care Subsidy works, and what it means for your out-of-pocket cost.
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a payment provided by the Australian Government to assist families with the cost of approved child care. Macarthur Early Learning is an approved service, so eligible families can claim it here.
CCS is paid directly to the childcare service to reduce your out-of-pocket fees — you don’t pay the full amount and claim it back later. You’ll be invoiced for the gap only.
Four things determine how much subsidy you receive.
Your family's combined annual income sets the percentage of the fee the government covers.
The hours of recognised activity you do — work, study, volunteering and more — set the hours of care subsidised.
The type of approved child care you use. Macarthur Early Learning is a centre-based long day care service.
The hourly fee charged by the service, up to the Government's hourly rate cap.
Create or log in to your myGov account and link it to Centrelink. If you've claimed any Centrelink payment before, this is already done.
Submit a Claim for Child Care Subsidy through Centrelink online. You'll need your estimated annual family income, your activity details and your child's details.
Once your child starts, we submit an enrolment to Services Australia. You confirm it in myGov — your subsidy can't start until you do.
Subsidy percentages, the activity test and the hourly rate cap are all set by the Australian Government and change from time to time — usually each July. Always check Services Australia for the current figures.
Because every family’s subsidy is different, a published daily rate tells you very little about what you’d actually pay. Get in touch and we’ll give you our current daily fee and help you work out your likely gap.
The Starting Blocks CCS calculator gives you an estimate before you enrol.
Everything Services Australia needs from you, in one place.
Call the centre on 02 4658 2244 and we'll walk you through the numbers.
Book a tour and we’ll go through fees, subsidy and availability while you’re here.