Can I get more than 3 days (72 hours) of Child Care Subsidy?

Under the CCS “3 Day Guarantee”, eligible families can access up to 72 hours of subsidised childcare per child, per fortnight, regardless of their recognised participation and activity level. For many families, that’s roughly equal to around 3 days of childcare per week.

But what if your family needs more care than that? That’s when your recognised participation level will be considered. Some families may be eligible for up to 100 subsidised hours per fortnight if they meet the recognised participation requirements or special consideration criteria for additional subsidised hours.

What is “recognised participation” for CCS?

Recognised participation is the term Services Australia uses for activities that may allow families to receive more than the guaranteed 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight.

These activities can include:

• paid work
• self-employment
• parental or maternity leave
• study or training
• volunteering
• looking for work

In simple terms: the more recognised activity hours your family does, the more subsidised childcare hours you may be eligible for. Services Australia will ask for information about your participation in recognised activities when you apply for CCS through myGov.

The important part many parents miss

While you do need to meet eligibility criteria to qualify for CCS, you do not need to participate in any recognised activity to access the first 72 subsidised hours. That’s what the CCS 3 Day Guarantee is designed to provide. Recognised participation only affects whether your family can receive additional subsidised hours above the “guaranteed” 72 hours/3 days per fortnight amount.

A simple way to think about it:

Services Australia assesses your family’s participation level when calculating your CCS entitlement. For couples, the parent with the lower recognised activity level is usually used to determine the family’s subsidised hours.

Can families receive more CCS hours in special circumstances?

Some families may be eligible for additional subsidised hours through exemptions or extra support arrangements. These circumstances are assessed individually by Services Australia and can include situations involving:

• financial hardship
• grandparent carers
• Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS)
• some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

A simple way to think about it

The CCS 3 Day Guarantee is designed to make early learning more accessible for more Australian families. It provides eligible families with up to 72 hours of subsidised childcare per fortnight - enough for around three days of care per week for many families.

If your family needs more childcare than that, Services Australia can assess your recognised participation / activity level or special circumstances to determine whether you may be eligible for additional subsidised hours above the guaranteed minimum.

In simple terms:

• the 3 Day Guarantee provides a baseline level of subsidised care for eligible families
• recognised activity or special circumstances may allow some families to access additional subsidised hours if they need them.

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