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Child Care Subsidy

Key facts

  • The Child Care Subsidy is a government payment to help families with the cost of child care.
  • It's only paid for certain types of approved child care.
  • The amount of subsidy you receive will depend on your family circumstances, income and your child's age.
  • The Child Care Subsidy is usually paid directly to your child care provider — this lowers your out-of-pocket fees.
  • You may also be eligible for an Additional Child Care Subsidy in some circumstances, such as financial hardship.

    • What is the Child Care Subsidy?

    The Child Care Subsidy is the main way the Australian government helps families with the cost of child care.

    The Child Care Subsidy is designed to make child care affordable, accessible and flexible for more families.

    What child care services can the Child Care Subsidy be used for?

    The Child Care Subsidy is only paid for approved child care services.

    Approved child care includes (Opens in new tab):

    • Centre Based Day Care, including long day care and occasional care
    • Family Day Care
    • Outside School Hours Care including vacation care and before and after school care
    • In-home Care

    The Child Care Subsidy is paid directly to your child care provider. This lowers the amount you need to pay in child care fees.

    Am I eligible for the Child Care Subsidy?

    You may be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy if:

    Normally, you are not eligible for the Child Care Subsidy if your child attends secondary school (high school). However, if your child is in high school but still needs supervision, you may still be eligible. If so, you must provide evidence of why your child needs supervision.

    Your child must also be either:

    • 13 years or younger
    • 14 to 18 years old with a disability

    You can check your eligibility (Opens in new tab) on the Services Australia website (Opens in new tab).

    How much will the Child Care Subsidy pay?

    The amount of the subsidy will depend on your circumstances, including:

    The amount you receive will also depend on how many hours per week each parent spends doing recognised activities (Opens in new tab). These activities include:

    • paid work
    • training
    • volunteering
    • looking for work
    • paid or unpaid leave
    • unpaid work such as work experience

    You can use the Payment and Service Finder (Opens in new tab) to estimate how much Child Care Subsidy you may get.

    What is the Additional Child Care Subsidy payment?

    You may be eligible for an Additional Child Care Subsidy if you are:

    • an eligible grandparent getting an income support payment
    • transitioning from getting certain income support payments into the workforce
    • having temporary financial hardship
    • caring for a child who is vulnerable or at risk of harm, abuse or neglect

    There is more information on the Additional Child Care Subsidy (Opens in new tab) at Services Australia.

    Resources and support

    Read more about the Child Care Subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy at Services Australia (Opens in new tab).

    You can visit the StartingBlocks (Opens in new tab) website to find approved child care in your area. The child care service you choose can tell you more about the care they provide.

    Read more about:

    Services Australia provides information in languages other than English (Opens in new tab).

    Visit the Department of Education for information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples (Opens in new tab).

    Speak to a maternal child health nurse

    Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 (Opens in new tab) or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.

    Last reviewed: September 2025

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