Guide · Fees & Subsidy
Making sense of CCS.
Your 2027 guide.
What the subsidy actually pays, how the $15.19 hourly cap works, and how to estimate your real out-of-pocket cost for a place in Moorebank.
The short version
- CCS is a percentage of your fee, paid directly to the centre and set by your family's combined income.
- It is calculated on the lower of the centre's hourly fee or the $15.19 hourly cap for centre-based day care (FY2026–27).
- Our $155 all-inclusive day (11-hour or 10-hour sessions, same fee) across an 11-hour session is about $14.09 per hour — under the cap, so your whole fee is subsidisable.
- Services Australia withholds 5% of your subsidy as a buffer and reconciles it at tax time.
Step 1 — Find your subsidy percentage
Your CCS rate starts at 90% for the lowest income band and tapers as combined family income rises. Most Moorebank and Liverpool households sit in the middle of the taper, where every extra $5,000 of income reduces the rate by roughly one percentage point. Families with more than one child aged five or under may receive a higher rate for younger children.
Step 2 — Check the fee against the hourly cap
The subsidy never pays on a fee above the cap. Divide the daily fee by the session length: a $155 day over 11 hours is $14.09 per hour, comfortably below $15.19, so nothing is lost above the cap. A centre charging $185 for a 10-hour day sits at $18.50 per hour — the $3.31 difference above the cap is unsubsidised and lands entirely on the family.
Step 3 — Estimate your out-of-pocket cost
Take the weekly fee, subtract your CCS percentage, then add back the 5% withholding. As a worked example: three days a week at Smart Steps is $465. A family on a 70% rate receives $325.50 in subsidy, leaving about $139.50 per week, plus roughly $16 held back as the withholding buffer. Our calculator runs these numbers for your income and days.
Step 4 — Don't forget NSW Start Strong
Eligible three to five year olds in NSW can access Start Strong fee relief on top of CCS, applied after the subsidy. For preschool-aged children in Moorebank this can meaningfully reduce the remaining gap. Read how Start Strong works at Smart Steps.
Step 5 — Compare like for like
Advertised daily fees are not comparable until you add the extras. Ask each centre whether meals, nappies, wipes, linen, sunscreen, hats and incursions are included. At Smart Steps all of them are inside the $155, so the fee you compare is the fee you pay. See exactly what's included.
Common questions from Moorebank families
- Do I claim CCS before we open? Yes — set up your Centrelink online account through myGov and complete the Child Care Subsidy claim ahead of January 2027 so your rate is active from day one.
- What is the 3-Day Guarantee? Eligible families receive a minimum level of subsidised care each fortnight regardless of activity level.
- Are sick days subsidised? CCS covers up to 42 absence days per child per year, so holidays and occasional illness stay subsidised.
- What if my income changes? Update your income estimate in myGov as soon as it changes — your rate adjusts from the next fortnight and reduces any debt at reconciliation.
This guide is general information only and reflects published FY2026–27 rates. Confirm your entitlement with Services Australia.