Child Care Subsidy(CCS)
From July 2 2018, the Australian Government introduced the new child care package, Child Care Subsidy(CCS).
CCS is now the main way that the Government assists families with the cost of child care.
If you have a child attending approved child care you may be eligible to receive this fee assistance from the Government. There are 3 key factors that will determine how much CCS your family may receive;
In order to assess your eligibility you will need to complete a claim for the Child Care Subsidy online via your My Gov account.
Activity Test
Family entitlement to the Child Care Subsidy will be determined by a three-step activity test, more closely aligning the hours of subsidised care with the combined hours of work, training, study or other recognised activity undertaken, and providing for up to 100 hours of subsidy per fortnight.
A broad range of activities will meet the activity test requirements including: paid work; being self-employed; doing unpaid work in a family business; looking for work; volunteering or studying. There will be exemptions to the activity test for parents who legitimately cannot meet the activity requirements.
Confirming Enrolment
Once you have been offered placement at the service and your claim for CCS has been assessed you will be required to confirm your child's enrolment details, through your My Gov account. This step will link your child to the service/s they attend and allow any eligible benefits to be paid on your child's behalf.
More information about the Child Care Subsidy can be found on the Department of Human Services and Department of Educations websites;
https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy
https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-subsidy-0
Should this not be finalised before your child's commencement you will be charged the full fee until is it completed. If you are charged the full fee it is possible that your CCS will be back-dated to the centre, at which point your account will be credited with us. If it is not back-dated and you are entitled, you will receive this money back from Human Services at the end of the financial year.
CCS is now the main way that the Government assists families with the cost of child care.
If you have a child attending approved child care you may be eligible to receive this fee assistance from the Government. There are 3 key factors that will determine how much CCS your family may receive;
- Your combined family income - how much your family earns will determine the percentage of subsidy you are eligible for
- Your activity level – parents must undertake a recognised activity to be eligible for the subsidy, and
- The type of child care service your family uses – the new subsidy will be calculated by an hourly rate cap, which vary depending on whether you use centre-based care, family day care or outside school hours care.
In order to assess your eligibility you will need to complete a claim for the Child Care Subsidy online via your My Gov account.
Activity Test
Family entitlement to the Child Care Subsidy will be determined by a three-step activity test, more closely aligning the hours of subsidised care with the combined hours of work, training, study or other recognised activity undertaken, and providing for up to 100 hours of subsidy per fortnight.
A broad range of activities will meet the activity test requirements including: paid work; being self-employed; doing unpaid work in a family business; looking for work; volunteering or studying. There will be exemptions to the activity test for parents who legitimately cannot meet the activity requirements.
Confirming Enrolment
Once you have been offered placement at the service and your claim for CCS has been assessed you will be required to confirm your child's enrolment details, through your My Gov account. This step will link your child to the service/s they attend and allow any eligible benefits to be paid on your child's behalf.
More information about the Child Care Subsidy can be found on the Department of Human Services and Department of Educations websites;
https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy
https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-subsidy-0
Should this not be finalised before your child's commencement you will be charged the full fee until is it completed. If you are charged the full fee it is possible that your CCS will be back-dated to the centre, at which point your account will be credited with us. If it is not back-dated and you are entitled, you will receive this money back from Human Services at the end of the financial year.