Making Child Care Affordable

At Oz Education, we believe high-quality early learning should be within reach for every family. That’s why we work hard to keep our fees fair and accessible. In addition, the Australian Government’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) helps reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

Here’s what you need to know for the 2026–27 financial year.

The amount of CCS you receive depends mainly on your combined family income. However, the number of children you have in care also plays a part.

• Income up to $88,520: you can receive the maximum subsidy of 90%.
• Income above $88,520: your subsidy then reduces by 1% for every $5,000 you earn.
• Income of $538,520 or more: unfortunately, you won’t be eligible for CCS.

As a result, most families receive some level of support. Lower-income families also receive the highest rates.

Do you have more than one child aged five or under in care? If so, you may receive a higher subsidy of up to 95% for your second and younger children. Because of this, growing families can get extra financial relief when they need it most.

From 5 January 2026, the government introduced the 3-Day Guarantee. This change replaced the old activity test for most families.

• All CCS-eligible families can now access at least 72 hours of subsidised care per child, per fortnight. In other words, that’s three days a week.
• This applies regardless of your work, study or volunteering hours.
• Some families can also get up to 100 hours per fortnight, depending on their circumstances.

Overall, this means every eligible family has access to a minimum level of affordable early learning.

Are you moving from income support into work, study or training? If so, you may qualify for the Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) – Transition to Work. To be eligible, you must:

• be eligible for CCS
• have a family income under $88,520
• receive an eligible income support payment
• take part in recognised work, study or training

In that case, the subsidy covers 95% of your fee, up to 95% of the government’s hourly rate cap.

If you already receive CCS, the 3-Day Guarantee is applied automatically. However, it’s still important to keep your income estimate up to date through myGov. Otherwise, you could end up with a debt at the end of the financial year.

New to CCS? Then you can apply through Services Australia using your myGov account. Also, remember that you can make a claim up to 28 days before your child starts care.

At Oz Education, we know that cost is one of the biggest barriers to quality early learning. For this reason, we aim to:

• keep our fees competitive and transparent
• help families make the most of their CCS entitlement
• offer Flexible Hours sessions, so you only pay for the care you need
• provide a supportive, enriching environment for every child

After all, every child deserves the best start in life. So we’re committed to making that possible for every family.

Want to estimate your costs? First, try our Child Care Subsidy calculator. Then call our Family Services Team on 1300 088 520 or enquire at a centre near you.

Subsidy rates and income thresholds change each July. Therefore, figures in this article are for the 2026–27 financial year.