Rebates & Funding

CCS is a type of assistance offered by the Federal Government to assist families with the costs of child care. In July 2018 it was introduced by the Australian Government as part of the child care fee assistance package. The new Child Care Subsidy (CCS) replaced the earlier child care fee payments known as the Child Care Benefit  (CCB) and the Child Care Rebate (CCR).

Families receiving CCS are allowed 42 absent days per year. If the 42 absent days are used, any further days taken without a medical certificate or a suitable document acceptable to Centrelink will attract the full fee being paid by the parent. For further information regarding your CCS please contact the Family Assistance Office.

The 2024 Start Strong for Long Day Care program provides funding to deliver affordable quality preschool education to children aged 3 and above who are enrolled in eligible long day care services in NSW.

Funding is provided for children in the 2 years before school and incentivises enrolments of 600 hours per year. Evidence shows that this level of participation in a quality early childhood education program in the 2 years before school is associated with better outcomes for children.

Start Strong for Long Day Care provides funding through 4 streams:

1. program funding for children aged 4 and above (4YO+ Program Payment), scaled for enrolments above and below 600 hours, with loadings for:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• services located in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage.

2. fee relief for families of children aged 4 and above (4YO+ Fee Relief Payment)

3. program funding for children aged 3 (3YO Program Trial Payment) (formerly known as Trial Payment), with loadings for:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• services located in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage

4. fee relief for families of children aged 3 (3YO Fee Relief Trial Payment).

Start Strong for Long Day Care supports eligible services to:

• improve the service they provide through supporting capability uplift of early childhood teachers (ECTs) and educators, the attraction and retention of ECTs and educators, purchase of educational resources and program development
• reach out to their community to offer and promote quality early childhood education
• reduce the cost of early childhood education for families by providing up to $2,110 per year in fee relief for children aged 4 and above, and up to $500 per year in fee relief for children aged 3.