Child Care Subsidy

In order to receive the Child Care Subsidy some basic requirements need to be met. The key requirements include:

• Your child must be attending an "approved child care service" such as Mary's Kindy.
• Residency Requirements - you/your partner must meet residency requirements set out by the Australian Government guidelines.
• Age Requirements - your child must be aged 13 or under and must not attend secondary school (certain exemptions apply, e.g. disability, medical condition)
• Immunisation Requirements - your child must meet immunisation requirements outlined by the Australian Government.

Yes, as an approved childcare provider, children enrolled with Mary's Kindy are eligible to apply for CCS benefits.

The amount of Child Care Subsidy you can get depends upon your individual circumstances. There are 3 main considerations that are taken into account when calculating the amount you are eligible for:

• Family Income - the percentage of your childcare costs that will be covered by the subsidy is calculated based on your combined family taxable income for the financial year. 
• Hours of Activity - The hours of subsidised care you can get per fortnight depends on the hours of recognised activities (such as paid work or education) you do. The least active family member, in terms of ‘recognised’ activity, will determine the calculation of your CCS hours.
• Hourly Rate Cap - Depending on the childcare you use, the type of childcare service and the age of your child, your subsidy may be capped.

In order to be eligible for the subsidy, your child must meet certain immunisation requirements outlined by the Australian Government:

• Be up to date with their Immunisation Program Schedule or;
• Be on a suitable catch up schedule or;
• Have an approved medical exemption recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

The number of hours of subsidised childcare you are eligible for is based on your/your partner's recognised activity hours. Recognised activity is not just paid work, it can also include the following activities:

• Paid work including being self employed
• Paid or unpaid leave, including paid or unpaid parental or maternity leave
• Unpaid work in a family business
• Unpaid work experience or unpaid internship
• Actively setting up a business.
• Doing an approved course of education or study
• Doing training to improve work skills or employment prospects
• Actively looking for work
• Volunteering
• Other activities on a case by case basis.