What will you actually pay for child care?
The Australian Child Care Subsidy covers up to 90% of approved fees, and from January 2026 every eligible family gets at least 72 subsidised hours per fortnight. Your real cost depends on three things — your income, the hours you use, and your centre's fee. This page ties them together.
See what a family like yours pays
A family earning $120,000 with 1 child in long day care 3 days a week pays about:
How your weekly cost is set
Income → CCS percentage. · Activity → subsidised hours. · Centre fee × hours = the bill.
Your income
Combined family income sets your CCS percentage. Under $85,279 you get the full 90%; the rate tapers by 1% for every $5,000 above that.
0 – 90%Your activity
Sets subsidised hours per fortnight. From January 2026 every eligible family gets at least 72 hours under the "3 Day Guarantee" — no activity test for the minimum.
72 – 100 hrs/fnYour centre's fee
Subsidy is capped at an hourly rate. If your centre charges above the cap, you pay the full difference on those cents — the "cap gap". Check before you enrol.
Cap vs. actualThe key numbers
Income → your %
- $0 – $85,27990%
- $85,280 – $535,278Tapers
- $535,279+0%
Hourly rate caps
- Long Day Care$14.63
- OSHC / school-age$12.81
- Family Day Care$13.56
- In Home Care$39.80
Subsidised hours
- Minimum (3 Day Guarantee)72/fn
- Both parents 48+ hrs activity100/fn
- First Nations children100/fn
Find yours
More guides coming soon: single parents, grandparent carers, on parental leave, ACCS (Additional CCS), and state-level kindy/preschool overlays.
Frequently asked
What is the 3 Day Guarantee and what changed in January 2026?
From 5 January 2026, the old CCS activity test was replaced by the 3 Day Guarantee. Every CCS-eligible family now receives at least 72 subsidised hours (3 days) per fortnight for each child, regardless of work, study, or any other activity.
This was a major change for families who previously received fewer hours — including stay-at-home parents, those between jobs, and casual workers who could receive as few as 0 or 24 hours under the old rules.
Families can still access 100 hours if both parents each exceed 48 hours of recognised activity per fortnight, or if a valid exemption applies. Read the full explainer →
How is my CCS percentage calculated?
Your CCS percentage is based on combined family Adjusted Taxable Income (ATI), which includes wages, investment income, fringe benefits and foreign income.
- Income of $85,279 or less → 90% CCS
- Above $85,279 → rate reduces by 1% for every $5,000 of income
- Income of $535,279 or above → 0% (no CCS)
You give Services Australia an income estimate at the start of the year. Your CCS is based on this estimate and reconciled against your actual ATO return at year end.
What is the hourly rate cap and how does it affect my costs?
The hourly rate cap is the maximum fee per hour that the government will subsidise. If your centre charges more than the cap, you pay the full difference with no subsidy on it.
For example: if your centre charges $16/hr and the Long Day Care pre-school cap is $14.63/hr, the government only subsidises your CCS% of $14.63. You pay (1 − CCS%) × $14.63 plus the full $1.37/hr "cap gap" yourself. See all 2025–26 caps →
More on the higher sibling rate, how your data is handled, or the full guide overview. For your specific entitlement, always verify with Services Australia.