Orbit
HomeDealsBlog
Resources
ToolsCancel HubSubscription DealsCompareNews
Get Started →
Child care subsidy calculator

Child Care Subsidy Calculator

Estimate your CCS for 2026-27. See your subsidy percentage, the amount the government pays and what you pay out of pocket each fortnight. Free, no signup.

Free, no signup2026-27 CCS yearVerify at servicesaustralia.gov.au
Your family
Your family's adjusted taxable income for the year, before tax
$
The care
Your provider's fee per hour. The subsidy is capped at $15.19/hr for this care type
$
How many hours of care your child uses each fortnight
hrs
Every eligible family gets at least 72 hours a fortnight. You get 100 if you and your partner each do more than 48 hours of work, study or other recognised activity a fortnight.
Your estimated CCS rate
84%
The government pays 84% of the lower of your fee and the $15.19/hr cap, for up to 72 hours a fortnight.
Subsidised hourly rateYour fee is at or under the cap$14.00
Subsidised hours60 hours a fortnight60 hrs
Fee for the fortnight$14.00/hr over 60 hours$840.00
Child Care SubsidyPaid to your provider$705.60
Your out-of-pocket costPer fortnight, after the subsidy$134.40
Have a second child aged 5 or under in care? They can get a higher rate, up to 95%, worked out on a separate income test. Switch the child toggle to see it.
Estimate only. CCS year 2026-27, rates from 6 July 2026. Standard rate 90% up to $88,520 family income, down 1 point per $5,000 to 0% at $538,520. Caps: Centre Based and Outside School Hours $15.19/hr below school age, $13.30 school age; Family Day Care $14.08/hr. Services Australia works out your actual entitlement. General information, not financial advice.
Simon Chadwick
Simon Chadwick
Founder, Orbit Money
Method: Services Australia CCS percentage, income test and hourly rate capsUpdated: 16 July 2026Sources: servicesaustralia.gov.au, education.gov.au

How the Child Care Subsidy is worked out

The Child Care Subsidy is a percentage of your child care fees, paid straight to your provider so your bill comes down. Three things set the amount. First, your subsidy percentage, which is based on your combined family income. Second, the hourly rate cap for your type of care, because the subsidy is worked out on the lower of your fee and that cap. Third, the hours of care you use, up to your subsidised-hours entitlement. Put those together and you get the subsidy for the fortnight. What is left is your out-of-pocket cost.

Your subsidy percentage and the income test

For the 2026-27 CCS year, a combined family income of $88,520 or less gets the top rate of 90%. Above that the rate falls by 1 percentage point for every $5,000 of income, reaching 0% at $538,520. Income here means your family's combined adjusted taxable income for the year, so a pay rise or a partner returning to work can move your rate. If you have more than one child aged 5 or under in care, your second and younger children get 30 percentage points more than the standard rate, up to a maximum of 95%. That higher rate has its own income test and stops once family income reaches $370,727.

Rate caps, and the 72-hour guarantee

The hourly rate caps for 2026-27 are $15.19 for Centre Based Day Care and Outside School Hours Care below school age, $13.30 for school-age children in those settings, and $14.08 for Family Day Care. If your provider charges above the cap, the part over it is not subsidised and you pay it in full. On hours, the 3 Day Guarantee from 5 January 2026 means every eligible family gets at least 72 hours of subsidised care a fortnight, regardless of activity. Families where each parent does more than 48 hours of work, study or other recognised activity a fortnight can get up to 100 hours. Treat this tool as a way to see the numbers, not as financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

How much Child Care Subsidy will I get?
Your CCS is a percentage of the lower of your hourly fee and the hourly rate cap for the care type, for the hours of care you use up to your subsidised-hours entitlement. Families earning $88,520 or less get the top rate of 90% for 2026-27. Above that the rate drops by 1 percentage point for every $5,000 of family income, reaching 0% at $538,520. So on a $14 hourly fee at 90%, the government pays $12.60 an hour and you pay $1.40.
What are the CCS income limits for 2026-27?
There is no hard cut-off for a single child, but the rate scales with income. A combined family income of $88,520 or less gets the maximum 90%. From there the rate falls 1 percentage point per $5,000, so a family on $200,000 gets about 68%, and the rate reaches 0% once income hits $538,520. Income means your family's combined adjusted taxable income for the year.
How many hours of subsidised care can I get?
From 5 January 2026 the 3 Day Guarantee means every eligible family gets at least 72 hours of subsidised care a fortnight, whatever their activity level. You can get up to 100 hours a fortnight if you and your partner each do more than 48 hours of recognised activity, such as paid work, study, training or volunteering. Hours above your entitlement are charged at the full fee.
Do I get a higher rate for my second child?
Yes. If you have more than one child aged 5 or under in care, your second and younger children can get 30 percentage points more than your standard rate, up to a maximum of 95%. The eldest child in care gets the standard rate. The higher rate uses its own income test and no longer applies once family income reaches $370,727 for 2026-27.
What are the CCS hourly rate caps?
For 2026-27 the caps are $15.19 an hour for Centre Based Day Care and Outside School Hours Care below school age, and $13.30 an hour for school-age children in those settings. Family Day Care is capped at $14.08 an hour. The subsidy is worked out on the lower of your fee and the cap, so any part of your fee above the cap is not subsidised.
Is the Child Care Subsidy paid to me or the provider?
CCS is paid directly to your child care provider, who reduces your fees by that amount. You pay the gap, which is your out-of-pocket cost. Services Australia holds back 5% of your subsidy during the year to reduce the chance of an overpayment, then balances it after you confirm your income at tax time.

Related tools

Paid Parental Leave Calculator (Australia)
Heading back to work after a baby? Estimate your government PPL first.
Family Tax Benefit Calculator (Australia)
See your FTB Part A and B alongside your child care subsidy.
Take-Home Pay Calculator (Australia)
Work out your pay after tax, the income that feeds your CCS rate.
50/30/20 Budget Calculator
Fit the out-of-pocket child care cost into a household budget.

More tax & pay calculators

Tax Refund Calculator (AU)
Estimate your ATO tax refund. See how income, deductions and HECS affect what you get back. 2025–26 rates.
GST Calculator (AU)
Add 10% GST to a price or work out the GST already inside a total, instantly. Australia's flat 10% rate.
HECS Repayment Calculator
Work out your HECS/HELP repayment under the new marginal system: annual, fortnightly and years to clear. 2025–26 & 2026–27.
Capital Gains Tax Calculator (AU)
Work out CGT on property, shares or crypto for 2026-27, with the 50% discount and your marginal rate applied.
Long Service Leave Calculator
Work out your long service leave entitlement and its value. Pick your state, enter your service and pay. All 8 states and territories.
Salary Sacrifice Calculator (AU)
See what salary sacrificing into super does to your tax, your take-home pay and your concessional cap headroom.

Child care is one bill. Know all the others.

Orbit finds every subscription and recurring charge draining your account and puts them in one place, so more of your money stays yours.

Try Orbit free
Simon Chadwick
About the author
Simon Chadwick
Founder of Orbit Money

Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about personal finance for UK and Australian readers.

More from Simon →
This tool is a guide, not financial advice.