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How you can use it depends on how your child care provider charges you. Read more about how your activity level affects your hours of care.
You’ll be able to access 24 hours of subsidised child care per fortnight if all of these apply:
- you’re eligible for Child Care Subsidy
- your family earns $83,280 or less a year
- you do less than 8 hours of recognised activities per fortnight.
You may be able to access up to 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight for a child if either of these apply:
- your child is attending an early education program in a Centre Based Day Care
- your child is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child.
If you have other children, your usual Child Care Subsidy entitlement will apply.
Talk to your child care service to check if the program is an early education program under Child Care Subsidy.
Example of using subsidised hours for a child care provider charging a daily fee
Tom is eligible for 24 hours of subsidised child care per fortnight for his child, Liam. His child care provider charges a daily fee for a 12 hour session. If Tom sends Liam for 7 hours each day, his provider will still charge him for 12 hours. This means we’ll subsidise 2 days of child care per fortnight. Once he exceeds the 24 hours Tom will need to pay full fees.
Example of using subsidised hours for a child care provider charging an hourly fee
Trish is eligible for 24 hours of subsidised care per fortnight for her child, Jack. Her child care provider charges an hourly fee. This means her provider charges her for the hours Jack is in care. If Trish sends Jack for 4 hours one day, she’ll still have another 20 hours she can use. She can use this across a number of days in the fortnight. Once she exceeds the 24 hours Trish will need to pay full fees.
Example of using subsidised hours for an early education program
Sam doesn’t meet the activity test. However, one of her children, Grace, goes to Centre Based Day Care 3 days a week. On 2 of the days, Grace goes to an early education program for 6 hours each day. We’ll subsidise all 12 hours of the program each week. We won’t subsidise the third day where Grace doesn’t attend the program. This is because Sam doesn’t do enough recognised activity to get Child Care Subsidy.