Knowing how to avail the most benefits out of Child Care Subsidy (CCS) involves maximising the amount of time your child can spend in care. However, working out the cost of child care can be very tricky. Understanding the system and accessing your privileges shouldn’t make you feel like you need an accounting course. For this reason, we urge you to use a CCS calculator to calculate your CCS percentage and manage your finances better.

This article is a one-stop guide for calculating your CCS percentage. Read on to learn more!

What Is Child Care Subsidy (CCS)?

Before diving into CCS percentage calculation, let us briefly tell you what CCS actually is.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a form of financial help that covers the cost of child care. How much subsidy you receive depends on several factors, including your child’s age, family’s income, and paid and unpaid work (job + volunteering) your family partakes in. Your CCS percentage is calculated based on these factors.

So does CCS work? CCS is paid by the government directly to child care service providers to reduce the fees you pay to them for their child care services. If your child is enrolled at a child care centre and you apply for the subsidy, the government will pay the centre to reduce the cost you pay them.

Who Is Eligible for CCS?

Not everyone is eligible for Child Care Subsidy. You need to meet some requirements before you apply. You might be eligible if you or your partner satisfy the following requirements:

• Care for a child 13 or younger at least two nights per fortnight
• Meet the residency regulations
• Meet the immunisation requirements
• Are responsible for child care fees at an approved child care centre
• Be responsible for paying the child care fees to the educators

What Determines Level of Subsidy Received?

Three things will determine your level of subsidy:

• Combined family income
• Type of approved child care/Child care provider’s hourly rate
• The activity level of your family members, such as work or volunteering

Some families can get extra support called Additional Child Care Subsidy. This is paid on top of CCS to help with child care fees. There are three different types of Additional CCS that you can apply for. You need to be:

• A grandparent/great-grandparent,
• Changing jobs/work or,
• Experiencing financial hardship.

How Is CCS Calculated?

CCS is usually calculated with the help of a CCS calculator. This tool can help you calculate the cost of child care and help you determine your government child care allowance when using Family Day Care, Centre Based Day Care, or Outside School Hours Care.

To calculate CCS, you need to answer a few questions such as:

• How old is your child?
• Is your child attending school?
• What type of care does your child attend or will be attending? (Child Care Centres, Family Day Care, Outside School Hours Care, etc.)
• How many days per week will your child attend care?
• How many hours per day will your child attend care?
• What is the daily fee you are currently paying or will be paying for care?
• Where does your family live? (Postcode or suburb)
• What is your family structure like? (Sole parent/Guardian or Couple)
• How many hours of work or other acceptable activity does the parent who does least each fortnight undertake?
• What is your approximate combined family income?

Once you answer all the questions mentioned above and hit the “Calculate” button, the CCS tool will show you your results in the form of total fees and current subsidy (estimated subsidy + out-of-pocket costs). You can choose to see a weekly or a fortnightly estimate to manage your finances better.

Calculate Your CCS Percentage Today!

If you are struggling with paying for child care, there’s no need why you shouldn’t apply for CCS. Check your eligibility for subsidy today and use a CCS calculator to calculate your CCS percentage.