How to Apply for the Child Care Subsidy

Understanding the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

The Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy, often called CCS, is a payment that helps most families with the cost of childcare. It can feel a little complicated at first, but it is designed to make high-quality early learning and care more accessible.

Instead of being a lump sum you receive, the subsidy is paid directly to your childcare provider, like us here at Meraki. This reduces the fees you have to pay out of your own pocket. The amount of subsidy you receive depends on your family's circumstances. This guide will walk you through the process, step by step, to help you feel confident in applying.

Step 1: Check if You Are Eligible

Before you start any paperwork, the first step is to check if you and your child meet the eligibility criteria. Services Australia has a clear checklist on its website, but the main points are:

• Residency: You or your partner must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or hold a specific visa type.
• Child’s Age: The subsidy is for children aged 13 or under who are not attending secondary school. There are some exceptions for older children with a disability.
• Immunisations: Your child must be up to date with their immunisations according to the National Immunisation Program schedule, be on a recognised catch-up schedule, or have a valid medical exemption.
• Approved Care: You must be using an approved childcare service. Both our childcare centre in Mooroolbark and our Bayswater early learning centre are approved providers.

It's a good idea to confirm these points on the official Services Australia website, as requirements can sometimes change.

Step 2: Get Your Documents and Details Ready

Being organised can make the application process much smoother. Before you sit down to start your claim, try to gather the following information for both you and your partner, if you have one:

• A MyGov account
• Your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)
• Your child’s birth certificate or passport
• Proof of your family's income (such as recent payslips or a tax return)
• Details of the hours you and your partner work, study, or volunteer each fortnight

If you don't have a MyGov account or a CRN from Centrelink yet, you will need to set these up first. You can do this online or by calling Services Australia. Having everything ready will save you from having to stop and start your application.

Step 3: Making Your Claim Online with MyGov

All CCS claims are made online through your MyGov account. This single, secure portal connects you to government services like Centrelink and the Australian Taxation Office.

Here’s how to lodge your claim:

1. Sign in to your MyGov account at my.gov.au.
2. Make sure your Centrelink account is linked. If it isn't, MyGov will guide you through the process.
3. Once linked, go to your Centrelink online account.
4. Select 'Make a Claim' from the menu.
5. Under the 'Families' category, select 'Get Started'.
6. The system will then ask you a series of questions about your family, your income, and your activity levels. Answer everything as accurately as possible.

The online form will save your progress, so you can come back to it if you need to find more information. Take your time and double-check your answers before submitting.

Step 4: Understanding the Activity Test

One of the most important parts of your claim is the 'activity test'. This test determines how many hours of subsidised care you can receive per child, per fortnight. It applies to both parents in a two-parent household.

The more hours you spend on recognised activities, the more subsidised hours of care you can access. Recognised activities include:

• Paid work (including being self-employed)
• Approved study or training
• Unpaid work in a family business
• Actively looking for work
• Volunteering
• Paid or unpaid leave (including parental leave)

The hours are combined for both parents. For example, if one parent works 15 hours a fortnight and the other studies for 10 hours, your combined activity is 25 hours. Based on your activity level, Services Australia will tell you whether you are entitled to 24, 36, 72, or 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. This is particularly helpful for families who need the flexibility of our 6:30am to 6:30pm operating hours.

Step 5: What Happens After You Apply?

After you submit your claim, Services Australia will review it. This can take several weeks, so it's a good idea to apply at least a month before your child is due to start care. You can track the progress of your claim in your MyGov account.

Once assessed, you will receive a notification in your MyGov inbox called a 'CCS Assessment Notice'. This letter is very important. It will tell you:

• Your CCS percentage (this is based on your family's income).
• The number of subsidised hours you get per fortnight (based on your activity test).
• The hourly rate cap that the government will subsidise up to.

Read this notice carefully. If you believe there has been a mistake in your assessment, you have the right to ask for a review. Remember to inform Services Australia if your family's income or activity levels change, as this can affect your subsidy.

Step 6: Confirming Your Child's Enrolment

The final step happens after your child has been enrolled at Meraki. When you complete the enrolment process with us for our long day care or funded three-year-old kinder programme, we send the enrolment details to Centrelink electronically.

This creates an official enrolment notice called a Complying Written Arrangement (CWA). You will get a notification asking you to review and confirm this enrolment in your MyGov account. You must do this for the subsidy to be paid.

Check that the details are correct—your child's name, the centre name (Meraki Early Learning Centre Mooroolbark or Bayswater), and the fee arrangements. Once you confirm the CWA, the subsidy will be applied to your fees, and you'll only need to pay the remaining gap. If you have any questions during this final step, our centre directors are always happy to help. For any questions about your personal subsidy details, it's always best to speak directly with Services Australia.

We hope this guide makes the CCS process clearer. Our goal is to support your family's journey into early learning. If you'd like to learn more about our programmes or organise a tour, please get in touch with our friendly team.

Frequently asked questions

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Want to see how we'd answer this for your family? Book a tour at our Mooroolbark or Bayswater centre — or use the contact form and we'll come back to you within one business day.