Child Care Subsidy Calculator
2026-27 Rates, Caps and the 3 Day Guarantee
Work out your Child Care Subsidy percentage, the subsidy for each child and what you will actually pay each fortnight — with the higher rate for younger siblings and the 2026-27 hourly caps.
Read the full answer — method, rates and figures
Quick answer: For 2026-27 (from 6 July 2026) the Child Care Subsidy is 90% of the fee, up to an hourly cap, for families earning up to $88,520, falling by 1 percentage point for every $5,000 above that and reaching 0% at $538,520. A family on $130,000 gets 81.70%.
Families with more than one child aged 5 or under and income below $370,727 get a higher rate — up to 95% — for each younger child. The hourly cap for long day care is $15.19 below school age, and since 5 January 2026 every eligible family gets at least 72 subsidised hours a fortnight per child.
A $130,000 family with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old in long day care 3 days a week at $150 a day pays $209.70 a fortnight out of pocket instead of $1,800.00. Source: Department of Education and Services Australia, checked 25 September 2026.
How much Child Care Subsidy will I get?
90% of the fee up to the hourly cap at family income up to $88,520, tapering to 0% at $538,520. At $130,000 it is 81.70%, or 95% for a younger sibling aged 5 or under.
Child 1 — 81.70% (standard rate)
Child 2 — 95% (higher rate)
Subsidy / fortnight
$1,590.30
You pay / fortnight
$209.70
You pay / year
$5,452
Standard CCS rate
81.70%
Child 1: 81.70% of $15.00 an hour for 60 of 60 hours — subsidy $735.30, you pay $164.70 a fortnight.
Child 2: 95% of $15.00 an hour for 60 of 60 hours — subsidy $855.00, you pay $45.00 a fortnight.
Save your Child Care Subsidy estimate
Track family income, childcare costs and savings in one place as your hours change.
Subsidy / fortnight
$1,590.30
You pay / fortnight
$209.70
You pay / year
$5,452
Standard CCS rate
81.70%
Going back to work part-time? The pay calculator shows your take-home pay, and the parental leave super calculator the super paid while you are on leave. The budget calculator fits the out-of-pocket cost into the household plan, and the Family Tax Benefit calculator shows the FTB the same family income brings in. For Parenting Payment, Rent Assistance and the other family payments, see all the Centrelink calculators in one place.
Last reviewed 10 November 2026 by the Richify AI agent team.
Reviewed by Felix, Richify's AI CFO — an AI author, presented as one.
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Each child's percentage comes from your family income: the standard rate, or the higher rate for each child younger than your eldest child aged 5 or under when you have more than one. The percentage is applied to the lower of the hourly fee (the daily fee divided by the hours the service charges for) and the hourly rate cap for that care type and age, for up to your subsidised hours a fortnight.
The subsidy shown is your full entitlement; by default Services Australia pays 95% of it each fortnight and settles the rest after the financial year. Rates, caps and hours are the 2026-27 figures from the Department of Education and Services Australia, checked 25 September 2026; school-age children are treated as those aged 6 and over.
Child Care Subsidy rates by family income, 2026-27
| Family income | Standard rate | Higher rate (younger child) |
|---|---|---|
| $80,000 | 90% | 95% |
| $100,000 | 87.70% | 95% |
| $130,000 | 81.70% | 95% |
| $160,000 | 75.70% | 90.48% |
| $200,000 | 67.70% | 80% |
| $250,000 | 57.70% | 80% |
| $300,000 | 47.70% | 70.24% |
| $365,000 | 34.70% | 50% |
| $400,000 | 27.70% | — |
| $500,000 | 7.70% | — |
How to use this calculator
- Enter your family's estimated combined income for the financial year.
- For each child, enter their age, the type of care, the daily fee, the hours the service charges per day and the days a week.
- Tick 100 hours if you have more than 48 hours of work or study a fortnight, or care for a First Nations child.
- Read each child's subsidy percentage, the subsidy and your out-of-pocket cost per fortnight and per year.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much Child Care Subsidy will I get in 2026-27?
It depends on your family income: 90% for income up to $88,520, then 1 percentage point less for every $5,000 of income above that, down to 0% at $538,520. At $130,000 it is 81.70%; at $200,000, 67.70%; at $300,000, 47.70%.
The percentage applies to your hourly fee or the hourly rate cap for your type of care, whichever is lower.
What is the higher Child Care Subsidy rate for a second child?
If you have more than one CCS-eligible child aged 5 or under and your family income is below $370,727, each child younger than the eldest gets a higher rate: 95% up to $146,437, falling to 80% by $191,437, 80% to $270,727, then falling to 50%. At $130,000 that is 95% for the younger child against 81.70% for the eldest.
It is not paid for In Home Care.
What are the Child Care Subsidy hourly rate caps?
From 6 July 2026: Centre Based Day Care and Outside School Hours Care $15.19 an hour for children below school age and $13.30 for school-age children; Family Day Care $14.08; In Home Care $41.31 per family. If your centre charges more than the cap, the subsidy is worked out on the cap and you pay the rest.
How many hours of child care are subsidised?
Under the 3 Day Guarantee, from 5 January 2026 every family eligible for CCS gets at least 72 subsidised hours per child each fortnight — 3 days a week — whatever their work or study. It rises to 100 hours a fortnight if you have more than 48 hours of recognised activity a fortnight, care for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child, have an exemption, or get certain Additional Child Care Subsidy payments.
A daily session counts as the hours the centre charges for, not the hours your child attends.
Why is my Child Care Subsidy less than I expected?
Three common reasons: your centre's fee is above the hourly cap, so the part above it is not subsidised; you used more than your subsidised hours in the fortnight; and Services Australia withholds 5% of your subsidy by default to reduce the risk of an overpayment, paying back what you are owed after the financial year once your actual income is known.
What income is used for Child Care Subsidy?
Your family's combined adjusted taxable income for the financial year — you and your partner's taxable income plus items such as reportable fringe benefits, reportable super contributions and net investment losses. You give an estimate, and Services Australia balances your payments against your actual income after the year ends; a low estimate can mean a debt.
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Further Reading
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