What is CCS

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) in Australia is designed to help families manage the costs of child care.

Here’s a brief overview:

Eligibility

Families must meet eligibility criteria to get CCS.

Parents must:

care for their child at least 2 nights per fortnight or have 14% share of care
be liable for child care fees at an approved early childhood education care service
meet residency requirements.

Their child must:

meet immunisation requirements
not be attending secondary school (unless an exemption applies)
be 13 or under (except in certain circumstances).

For further information see: DESE: Family Eligibility & Entitlement

CCS is calculated by:

From the 5th January 2026, the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) activity test was replaced. All CCS eligible families can now get 3 days of subsidised child care per week. see: 3 Day Guarantee

Calculation detail	Outcome
Combined Household Income	CCS%
Hours of Activity (Based on the hours of activity for the person in the household that completes the lowest amount of activity.)	Subsidised hours of Care

CCS Rates: 2025-2026

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%

Viewing CCS Entitlement information in Xap see: CCS Entitlements Report

Total Booking Charge by Service - CCS - any Discounts = GAP (Guardian out of pocket to be paid after any entitlements have been applied)

Manual CCS Calculation

Hourly Rate of the Service/Maximum CCS hourly rate x Session hours x CCSS percentage x withholding = CCS Total Fees - CCS = GAP

CCS Enrolment Types

For further information regarding CCS Enrolment requirements click here

Type	Abbreviation	Description
Complying Written Arrangement	CWA	Possible CCS entitlements, connected to myGov once all DOB & CRN details are added for Guardian & Child
Organisation Arrangement	OA	No CCS, Third Party paying full fee for child's attendance
Relevant Arrangement	RA	No CCS, not eligible to receive CCS
Provider Eligible Arrangement	PEA	Full Fee coverage, Child at Risk, No CRN holder linked or identified

CCS Care Types

Type	Abbreviation	Description
Centre Based Care	CBC	Service provides care for children under school age 6wks - primary school
Long Day Care	LDC	Same as CBC, historical term. 6wks - primary school
Outside School Hours Care	OSHC	Service provides care for school age children 5-12yrs
Out Of School Care	OOSH	Same as OSHC, service provides care for school age children 5-12yrs

Other Care Types (non-CCS)

Type	Abbreviation	Meaning
Sessional Kindergarten	SK	Non-CCS service, may be full fee for Guardians or covered by State Based Funding, runs only school term dates, offers around 15hrs care per week.3-5yr olds

Common Childcare Abbreviations & Terminology

Type	Abbreviation	Description
Complying Written Agreement	CWA	Contract between the Service and the family, includes details about each child's care sessions and fees.
Child Care Subsidy System	CCSS	Online system used to administer the CCS, holds records e.g. Enrolments & Session reports.
Child Care Subsidy	CCS	Subsidy amount paid to the Service for the care of the child, based on the CCS% and CCShrs the Guardian is entitled to.
Additional Childcare Subsidy	ACCS	Additional subsidy paid the Service in addition to the CCS e.g Child at Risk

Types of ACCS

Type	Abbreviation	Description
Child Wellbeing	CWB	A child has been identified as being at risk, Connected to the Child's CRN number. Maximum CCS% and Hrs = 120% &100hrs subsidised care. 13weeks up to 1yr.
Grandparenting CCB	GCCB	Child is in the care of a Grandparent, Maximum CCS% and Hrs = 120% &100hrs subsidised care.
Temporary Financial Hardship	TFH	Guardian has provided documents to Services Australia for additional assistance. Maximum CCS% and Hrs = 120% &100hrs subsidised care for 13 weeks
Transition to Work	TTW	Guardian has provided documents to Services Australia for additional assistance as they are studying or looking for work. CCShrs 95% & 72hrs subsidised care.

Updated on: 22/01/2026

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