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# CCS Hourly Rate Caps 2025/2026

# CCSS Hourly Rate Caps 2025-2026 F/Y

CCSS have updated their CCSS hourly rate caps for the upcoming **2025-2026** Financial Year.

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) hourly rate caps will go up from **7th July 2025**.

|| Note: This new hourly rate has been uploaded into the Xap program, to allow correct estimations to be based on the new calculations.

* Hourly Rate caps are the upper limit on the amount of CCS that CCSS will provide for sessions of care provided by an approved Child Care Service.
* The CCSS hourly rate caps are used in combination with a Families CCS Applicable percentage to calculate the amount of subsidy per hour a family is entitled to receive for all the hours in a session of care.
* CCS is calculated as a percentage of the actual fee charged, or the relevant hourly rate cap (whichever is lower)
| See:  [DESE Child Care Subsidy Rates 2024 - 2025 effective 8th July 2024](https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/child-care-subsidy/family-eligibility-and-entitlement)

###### CCSS Hourly Rates

| Care Type | Current Below School Age | New Below School Age Child | Current School Age | New School Age |
| ---- |
| CBC | $14.29 | $14.63 | $12.51 | $12.81 |
| OSHC | $14.29 | $14.63 | $12.51 | $12.81 |

### Manual CCS GAP Calculation

The Manual Calculation for CCSS is:

**Hourly Rate of the Service x CCSS hours x CCSS percentage x 5% withholding = CCSS**
**Total Fees - CCSS = GAP**

### Family Information

There are a few changes in relation to CCS eligibility for Families from the **7th July 2025**.

###### Current CCS Rates 

| Family Income | Subsidy Rate |
| ---- |
| $0 to $83,280 | 90% |
| More than $83,280 to below $533,280 | Decreasing from 90%. The percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000 of income a family earns |
| $533,28 or more | 0% |


###### CCS Rates from 7th July 2025

| Family Income | Subsidy Rate |
| ---- |
| Up to $85,279 | 90% |
| More than $85,279 to below $535,279 | Decreasing from 90% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000 of income a family earns |
| $535,279 or more | 0% |


###### Rates for second and younger children 2024- 2025

| Family Income | Subsidy Rate |
| ---- |
| $0 to $141,321 | 95% |
| More than $141,321 to below $186,321 | Decreasing from 95% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns |
| $186,321 to below $265,611 | 80% |
| $265,611 to below $355,611 | Decreasing from 80% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns |
| $355,611 to below $365,611 | 50% |
| $365,611 or more | Higher CCS rates no longer apply, all children in the family will receive the standard CCS rate |

###### Rates for second and younger children 2025- 2026

| Family Income | Subsidy Rate |
| ---- |
| Up to $143,273 | 95% |
| More than $143,273 to below $183,273 | Decreasing from 95% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns |
| $183,273 to below $262,563 | 80% |
| $267,563 to below $357,563 | Decreasing from 80% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns |
| $357,563 to below $367,563 | 50% |
| $367,563 or more | Higher CCS rates no longer apply, all children in the family will receive the standard CCS rate |


###### ACCS Rates from 8th July 2025

In most cases, the ACCS subsidy will cover the full GAP for a Family (dependant on the Hourly fee calculation)


ACCS - 120% includes:
* GCCS - Grandparent ACCS
* TFH - Temporary Financial Hardship
* CWB - Child Wellbeing

Eligible families will get the lower of either:
* 100% of the fee charged where it’s equal to or below the hourly rate cap
* up to 120% of the hourly rate cap where the fee charged is above the hourly rate cap.

| Care Type | Children below School Age (under 6yrs) | School-Aged Children (over 6yrs) |
| ---- |
| CBC | $16.47 | $14.42 |
| OSHC | $16.47 | $14.42 |

###### Number of children in care

Families with more than one child aged **5 or under** in care can get a higher subsidy for their **second child** and **younger children**.  
They currently get an **extra 30%** on top of their income tested rate for eligible children, up to a maximum of **95%**. 
Children who are entitled to both the higher subsidy and **Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS)** will be paid the ACCS rate. 

| To assist families further with number of children in care queries see: [Services Australia website number of children in care](https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/announcements/child-care-subsidy-hourly-rate-caps-are-changing-soon-0#:~:text=The%20Child%20Care%20Subsidy%20%28CCS%29%20hourly%20rate%20caps,based%20on%20the%20type%20of%20care%20you%20provide.)