What will you actually pay each week?

Enter your family's income, hours and centre fees — get a 2025–26 CCS estimate including the 3 Day Guarantee, sibling rates and hourly caps.

Updated for 2025–26 Runs privately in your browser Estimate only
Enter your details below — results update instantly

Child 1

IHC is charged per family, not per child. Enter the total family daily IHC fee here. The $39.80/hr cap applies to the family total.

Child 2

IHC fee is per family — see Child 1 note.

Child 3

IHC fee is per family — see Child 1 note.
Combined Adjusted Taxable Income (ATI) — salary, investments, fringe benefits and foreign income for all adults. Use your best estimate.
Most centres run 48–50 wks/yr. Subtract closure weeks and planned holidays.

The government gives you more subsidised childcare hours if you work, study or volunteer. Enter your total hours per fortnight (2 weeks) for each parent — for example, 5 days/wk × 8 hrs × 2 weeks = 80 hrs/fn, or 3 days/wk × 8 hrs × 2 weeks = 48 hrs/fn.

Recognised activities: paid work, study, training, volunteering, approved leave, self-employment. Full list ↗
The lower of both parents' hours determines subsidised hours for all children.

Enter Centre B's daily fee to compare your out-of-pocket cost after subsidy.

Same household and attendance — only the centre fee changes.

Current / week
$0
Centre B / week
$0
Weekly diff
$0
Current / year
$0
Centre B / year
$0
Annual diff
$0
Standard CCS: income-based rate, 72 or 100 subsidised hours/fn, fee capped at hourly cap.
Services Australia withholds a % of CCS against year-end balancing. Default 5%. Higher = less fortnightly benefit but less debt risk at tax time.

Your weekly childcare cost

Weekly cost
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Enter your details to calculate

    Sensitivity charts — see how costs change with income, hours or days

    Dashed lines show policy thresholds (hover to label) · Amber line = your scenario · Charts update as you type

    Charts update automatically as you change inputs.

    Policy subsidy rate vs family income
    Weekly cost vs family income
    Weekly cost vs lower parent participation hours

    Amber marker = your current lower-parent hours.

    Weekly cost vs days in care

    Amber marker = your current days in care (Child 1).

    Want to understand how CCS works before you calculate?

    ← Back to the Child Care Subsidy guide  ·  How CCS is calculated  ·  3 Day Guarantee

    Quick reminder of the 2025–26 numbers the calculator uses: $14.63/hr Long Day Care cap · 90% max CCS at incomes up to $85,279 · 72 hrs/fn minimum subsidised hours.

    Full rates table →  ·  How CCS is calculated →

    About this tool and important disclaimer

    This is a free, independent Child Care Subsidy estimator for Australian families. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Services Australia, the Australian Government, or any child care provider. Results are estimates based on simplified policy modelling and may differ from your actual entitlement.

    Not professional advice. This tool does not constitute financial, legal, tax, or Centrelink advice. Always verify your actual CCS entitlement with Services Australia via myGov. Rates and thresholds are for 2025–26 (from 7 July 2025) and will be stale after July 2026 unless updated.

    Official resources