Calculate Your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Entitlements and Estimated Fees.

Plan your child's days at Smart Start with an estimate of your Child Care Subsidy and out-of-pocket fees.

Eligible families can receive up to 90% at the standard rate, or up to 95% for eligible younger children. Hourly caps and subsidised hours affect the amount paid.

Tell us about your family and care arrangements to explore what your fees could look like.

About Your Family

A few details will help us estimate your subsidy.

CCS has residence, immunisation, care and fee-liability requirements. Check eligibility with Services Australia ↗

Income & recognised participation

Include your partner's adjusted taxable income if you have a partner. Enter a yearly figure, not take-home pay.

Use recognised participation such as work, study and eligible travel time. If looking for work or volunteering is your only activity, choose “48 hours or less”. For couples, the lower entitlement applies.

Estimated family hours: 72 hours per child per fortnight, subject to eligibility. Individual child circumstances can differ.

Services Australia normally withholds 5% of your subsidy for balancing. Change this only to match your approved withholding percentage.

2026–27 rules, effective 6 July 2026. Calculations stay in your browser; no income or child details are submitted or saved by this calculator.

About your estimate

This is a planning estimate for regular care, not a Centrelink assessment. It does not include Additional CCS, In Home Care, state-funded kindergarten, debts, absences or special eligibility exceptions. Our team can help confirm your fees.

Calculation rules & official sources

Rules checked 2 October 2026. We apply your subsidy percentage to the lower of your hourly fee and the government cap, for the hours available to your booking, then deduct withholding. Younger-child rates are assessed among the CCS-eligible under-six children you enter.

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