Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Explained for OSHC

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is an Australian Government payment that helps families with the cost of child care, including Outside School Hours Care (OSHC).

Who Is Eligible? To receive CCS, you must: - Care for a child 13 or under (not yet in secondary school) - Use an approved child care provider - Meet the residency and immunisation requirements - Meet the activity test (both parents need to be working, studying, or volunteering)

How Much Can You Get? CCS covers between 0% and 90% of your child care fees, depending on your family income. For the 2025-26 financial year: - Families earning under $80,000: up to 90% subsidy - The subsidy reduces as income increases - An annual cap applies for higher-income families

How It Works With OSHC When you enrol with a CCS-approved OSHC provider, you can authorise them to receive the subsidy on your behalf. This means you only pay the gap fee.

For example, if after school care costs $30/day and your CCS covers 80%, you'll pay just $6/day out of pocket.

How to Apply 1. Create a myGov account and link it to Centrelink 2. Complete an online claim for CCS 3. Provide your details and activity hours 4. Your approved provider will handle the rest

Tip: Always check that your OSHC provider is CCS approved before enrolling. Use Busyroo to compare CCS-approved providers for your school.