Child Care Subsidy

Understanding the CCS Calculator

Navigating childcare costs can be stressful for families. The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is the main way the Australian Government helps with these expenses. To plan ahead, many families use a child care subsidy calculator. These tools estimate how much financial support you may receive, based on your personal circumstances.
This guide explains how CCS calculators work, the information they need, and the rules that apply right now, including the 2026–27 rates that took effect on 6 July 2026 and the 3-Day Guarantee that has been in place since 5 January 2026.

The CCS will help:

  • support parents’ and carers’ choice to increase their workforce participation, particularly women
  • make early childhood education and care more affordable for more families
  • extend to more children the benefits early childhood education and care brings to children’s school-readiness and long-term outcomes.

Designed by The Childcare Experts — Hopscotch Digital

How Do Childcare Subsidy Calculators Work?

Most CCS calculators follow three steps:

  • Collect your details – income, children in care, service type, hours, age of children.
  • Apply CCS rules – including your subsidy percentage, income thresholds, hourly rate caps, and activity-test hours (until Jan 2026).
  • Estimate your subsidy – showing how much the Government may cover and what you’ll need to pay.

The result is an estimate only. Services Australia calculates the final subsidy based on your official application, income assessment, and your provider’s actual charges.

2026–27 Rates and Rules Families Should Know

Annual Indexation – In Effect Since 6 July 2026

  • Families earning up to $88,520 receive the maximum 90% subsidy. Above that, the rate falls by 1% for every $5,000 of family income, reaching 0% at $538,520.
  • Hourly rate caps are now $15.19 for a child below school age in centre based day care or outside school hours care, $13.30 for a school aged child, $14.08 for family day care, and $41.31 per family for in home care.
  •  Families with more than one child aged 5 or under may receive a higher rate of up to 95% for their second and younger children.
  • Thresholds and caps are indexed by CPI at the start of each financial year, so calculators should always reflect the current figures.

The 3-Day Guarantee – In Effect Since 5 January 2026

  • The old activity test no longer limits the first 72 hours of subsidised care.
  • Every eligible family now receives at least 72 hours of subsidised care per child, per fortnight, regardless of activity.
  • Families caring for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child receive 100 hours per fortnight for that child, regardless of activity.
  • To access up to 100 hours per fortnight, families need more than 48 hours of recognised activity per fortnight, or an approved exemption.