A little help.
A brighter start.
The Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS) helps most families with the cost of approved childcare. As a registered service, Smart Steps families can access it — and many are surprised how much it brings the cost down.
New to Child Care Subsidy? Start here.
How CCS works (in plain English)
For a longer walk-through with worked examples for local families, read the Moorebank parent’s guide to CCS in 2027.
- The subsidy is a percentage of your fee, based on your family's combined income — the lower your income, the higher your subsidy.
- It’s calculated on the lower of our daily fee or the government’s hourly-rate cap. The cap for centre-based day care is $15.19 per hour (FY2026–27). Our $155 day — offered as an 11-hour or 10-hour session at the same fee — across an 11-hour session works out to about $14.09 per hour — under the cap, so your full fee is subsidisable.
- The government withholds 5% as a buffer, reconciled at tax time.
- Under the 3-Day Guarantee, eligible families receive a minimum level of subsidised care regardless of activity.
- CCS covers up to 42 absence days per child per year, so occasional sick days and holidays stay subsidised.
Estimate your cost
- 1 · Care
- 2 · Family
- 3 · Settings
- 4 · Estimate
Step 1 of 4
A little about your child
Choose their age and the days you’re considering.
More information
Step 2 of 4
Your family
A rough annual income is fine to get started.
Enter an exact income
More information
More information
Step 3 of 4
Your subsidy settings
Check your hours, or use the default scenario if you’re unsure.
More information
More precise estimate
You can enter the fee, session length, hours and withholding shown in your Centrelink online account. Anything you type here is a family-provided value — it isn't independently verified by Smart Steps.
Explore NSW Start Strong relief
More information
Session fees & inclusions
Daily fee: $155 for an 11-hour day (7:00am–6:00pm) or a 10-hour day — the same all-inclusive fee either way (five chef-prepared meals, nappies, sunscreen, hat, linen, learning materials, all incursions and the OWNA app). At 11 hours that's about $14.09 an hour — under the $15.19 cap; at 10 hours it's $15.50, slightly above the cap, and the difference is shown below. We close for two weeks over Christmas, so annual figures are spread across 50 operating weeks.
Step 4 of 4
Your weekly estimate
An indication of your cost, subject to eligibility and confirmation.
CCS-only estimate — amount you'd pay
$— per week
3 days / week · weekly average
Estimate only. Uses the selections you entered and includes CCS withholding. Services Australia determines your entitlement.
How this is calculated
- Full fee$—
- Your estimated CCS rate—%
- CCS entitlement before withholding$—
- CCS withholding (assumed)$—
- CCS applied to your bill$—
- Amount above the hourly-rate cap$—
- Unsubsidised booked hours—
- NSW Start Strong relief (2026 illustration)$—
Illustration including Start Strong at 2026 rates
$— per week
2027 rates and Smart Steps' participation are subject to NSW confirmation. The 2026 age test uses the child's age on or before 31 July 2026, relief is applied after CCS (never as a reduction in your CCS percentage), is capped by your fees, and requires a completed fee relief declaration nominating our service.
Children aged 3–5 who aren't yet at school may also access NSW Start Strong fee relief — a separate NSW program, applied to your fees after CCS. You don't have to receive CCS to qualify.
Eligibility, assumptions & important details
Estimate only, using FY2026–27 CCS settings (centre-based day care hourly cap $15.19 below school age and $13.30 school age; 90% up to $88,520, reducing 1 percentage point per $5,000 to 0% at $538,520; higher rate for a second or younger child aged 5 or under from 95% down per the published thresholds). Figures are a weekly average of a representative fortnight. CCS requires a claim and an eligibility assessment — including fee liability at an approved service, care and residency requirements and your child's immunisation status; income and age alone don't establish eligibility. Check who can get CCS and the official payment estimator. Withheld CCS is reconciled when Services Australia balances your payments — it isn't a guaranteed refund. In exceptional circumstances — Additional Child Care Subsidy, separated parents, unusual shared-care arrangements, extended absences or debt recovery — a personalised Services Australia assessment may differ from this estimate.
Figures are estimates only — your actual entitlement is assessed by Services Australia based on income, activity and immunisation status.