The Childcare Subsidy

To be eligible for the childcare subsidy, parents must:

​​​​

• care for a child who is 13 years old or younger for at least 2 nights per fortnight or have 14% share of care 

• be responsible for paying childcare fees at an approved childcare service

• meet residency requirements​

• ​meet the child's immunisation requirements

How much subsidy you may be entitled to depends on your individual circumstances. Centrelink will review your combined family income, acitivity levels, the type of care your child receives and the number of children you have in care. 

Under the Start Strong Long Day Care Program, the NSW Government provides financial support for families with children in preschool. It is a fantastic initiative to increase attendance of pre-school aged children in early learning as their school readiness program is accelerated. It is also crucial in ensuring less advantaged children receive the same the same opportunities when getting ready for kindergarten. 

If your child turns 4 years on or before 31 July, you will eligible to receive fee relief. Fee relief is not means tested. It is in addition to your Child Care Subsidy payment. Parents don't need to do anything; fee relief is passed on automatically as a weekly reduction to gap fees after the Child Care Subsidy has been applied.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​