Fees and Child Care Subsidy

Nido Early School Fees

Nido Early Schools are government approved, meaning Child Care Subsidy (CCS) eligible families are entitled to a 3 Day Child Care Subsidy Guarantee. This ensures at least 3 days of subsidised early childhood education and care per week (72 hours per fortnight), regardless of the work, study, or volunteering status of your family. If you’re eligible for CCS, the Executive Service Manager at your local early school will help you understand exactly what your out-of-pocket costs will be.

Our fees include all daily care essentials: nutritious meals and snacks, nappies, and learning resources. Holiday discounts and swap days for public holidays are also available for children enrolled in our early schools.

Daily fees for your local early school can be found directly on their Service page. Find your local Nido Early School

Payments

Fees are paid via direct debit from a bank account or credit card. Once a direct debit form is completed, payments are automatically processed on a Thursday, one week in advance however we provide flexibility to pay fortnightly or monthly and on any day of the week at your request.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

What is the Child Care Subsidy?

The Child Care Subsidy is a government initiative to help families reduce their out-of-pocket childcare expenses. The initiative is designed to enable families to access affordable, flexible and high-quality childcare.

The Government reduces the amount you may pay for your childcare, to increase the level of care your child can receive. This enables parents or carers to allow their child to attend childcare, so that they can either work or study more hours. Families must meet a number of requirements to qualify for the CCS.

The 3 Day Guarantee
In January 2026, the Australian Government updated the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) to guarantee at least 3 days of subsidised early childhood education and care per week. This means that all CCS-eligible families will receive at least 72 hours per fortnight (3 days/week) of subsidised childcare regardless of their work, study, or volunteering status. 

Learn more about the 3 Day Guarantee and changes to the Child Care Subsidy.

Use our CCS Calculator, to calculate your fees at Nido Early School.

Calculate your Early School fees

How does the CCS work?

Subsidies are paid directly to Nido Early School, and we then pass them to you as a fee reduction. You then pay the difference between the subsidy and the fees charged.

Families with an adjusted taxable income of $0 to $85,279 p.a. receive a subsidy of 90% (subject to CCS hourly rate cap)
Families with an adjusted taxable income between $85,280 to $530,279 p.a. will receive a subsidy of between 89% and 1%. The percentage reduces by 1% for every $5,000 of income earned.
Families with an adjusted taxable income of $535,279 p.a. or more will not be eligible to receive a subsidy.

How much Child Care Subsidy can I receive?

Child Care Subsidy is calculated using:

  • Your combined family income
  • The number of children under five you have in childcare
  • Your childcare provider’s hourly rate

Families with more than one child aged five or under in care can get a higher subsidy. The higher CCS will be paid to their second child and younger children.

Eligible children will get a 30% higher subsidy up to a maximum of 95%. If you have children born on the same day, such as twins, Services Australia should be contacted to ensure one child is determined as receiving the standard CCS rate with the other, the higher rate. See FAQs below for further information.

Who is eligible for CCS?

Families must meet eligibility criteria to get CCS.

Parents must:

  • Care for their child at least 2 nights per fortnight or have 14% share of care
  • Be liable for child care fees at an approved child care service
  • Meet residency requirements

Their child must:

  • Meet immunisation requirements
  • Not be attending secondary school (unless an exemption applies)
  • Be 13 or under (except in certain circumstances)

If a child doesn’t attend a session of care at least once in 26 consecutive weeks, they will stop being eligible for CCS. If a child starts to attend care again, a family can make a new claim for CCS.

Additional Support

What is Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS)?

There are 4 types of ACCS available.

  1. Child Wellbeing – for children who are at risk to help them to stay in early learning (e.g. instances of serious abuse, domestic violence). The ACCS is applied for by the Service, covers 100% of service fees up to the ACCS maximum hourly rate ($18.22ph for non-school age children in FY26/27).
  2. Temporary Financial Hardship – short-term extra help with childcare fees if something serious and unexpected happens and the family temporarily can’t afford childcare anymore (e.g. job loss, serious illness or injury). The family applies for this themselves via Services Australia. Covers up to 12% of the CCS hourly rate cap ($18.22ph for non-school age children in FY26/27), for up to 13 weeks per year.
  3. Grandparent – an extra level of childcare funding for grandparents or great-grandparents who have taken over the day-to-day care of their grandchild and are on an income support payment. Families apply for this themselves via Services Australia. Covers 100% service fee up to ACCS maximum hourly rate. Indefinite period.
  4. Transition to Work – temporary childcare subsidy designed to help parents and carers who are transitioning from income support work, study or training. Families apply for this themselves via Services Australia. The transition to work additional childcare subsidy increases CCS to 95% for an agreed time period. There is still a parent gap to pay.

FAQs on the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

Am I eligible for CCS?

You are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy if you meet the following:

  • You are an Australian citizen, on a permanent visa or special category visa
  • Meet immunisation requirements.
  • Enrolled in an approved childcare service, like Nido.

Additional info

  • If separated, families must have the child at least 2 nights per fortnight to claim or 14% of the time.
  • Only one parent can apply for CCS unless separated or divorced.

How is CCS calculated?

CCS is calculated based on two criteria: (1) income, (2) how much you work or study.

(i) Income test
CCS is calculated using your annual family income. If your combined family income is under $533,520 per year and your family meet the above requirements, you should receive a Child Care Subsidy.

The amount of subsidy will depend on your income level. For example, the average Australian family on combined $100k annual income receives around 87% CCS. Maximum CCS is 90%, unless applying for Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) or if you have 2+ children in childcare.

(ii) Activity test (hours of work or study)
Every eligible family is guaranteed at least 72 hours of Child Care Subsidy per fortnight or 3 days per week, known as the 3 Day Guarantee. Eligibility for additional hours is based on an activity test (i.e. the number of hours families work, study, train, or volunteer). If both parents of the family work or study more than 48+ hours per fortnight they will likely be eligible for additional hours up to a maximum of 100 hours.

Can you show an example of CCS for a family?

Here is an example of how CCS is calculated for a family:

Nez and Amy have one child aged 3. Nez works full time and earns $100,000 per annum. Amy works 2 days per week and earns $30,000 per year.

  • Given Amy works part time (less than 48 hours per fortnight), they are likely eligible for 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight (3 days per week).
  • Their combined annual income is $130k per annum, makes them eligible for a CCS% of around 81%

 

How much will Nez and Amy pay for childcare per day for their child?

  • The daily childcare fee at the service is $185, for 12 hours (approx. $15.42 per hour).
  • As the hourly fee is higher than the CCS maximum rate, the family is eligible for 81% CCS up to the maximum rate of $14.63 per hour ($175.56 per day), after this the gap needs to be paid by the parent.
  • Full CCS entitlement will be: $147.60 per day ($15.19 x 12 hours x 81% CCS)
  • As the family has elected for a 5% withholding, to manage any discrepancies in income estimates at tax time, the CCS entitlement is reduced to: $140.23
  • Nez and Amy will need to pay the gap between $185 and $140.23 CCS entitlement per day = $44.77 per day
  • This entitlement is available for up to 3 days per week, after this the family will need to pay up to the full fee amount for any additional days as Amy is working less than 48 hours per fortnight

How is CCS calculated for my second child?

If you have more than one child aged 5 and under you can get a higher subsidy, up to 30% more capped at 95% CCS for the younger child only. For example:

  • If your standard CCS rate is 60%, the second child may get 90%
  • If your standard rate is 70%, the second child may get 95% (the cap)

Based on FY 26/27 guidelines, families that earn $146,437 or less will receive 95% for the younger child

Can you provide an example of CCS for my second child?

It is now one year later, and Nez and Amy have a second child, aged 9 months. As their first child is still in care, Nez and Amy are eligible for an additional discount on their second child.

  • Given Amy works part time (less than 48 hours per fortnight), they are likely eligible for up to 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight (3 days per week)
  • Their combined annual income is $130k per annum, makes them eligible for a CCS% of around 95% for their second child. The higher % will be applied until
    the older child has been out of childcare for more than 26 weeks.

 

How much will Nez and Amy pay for childcare per day for their second child?

  • The daily childcare fee at the service is $185, for 12 hours (approx. $15.42 per hour).
  • As the hourly fee is higher than the CCS maximum rate, the family is eligible for 95% CCS up to the maximum rate of $15.19 per hour ($182.23 per day), after this the gap needs to be paid by the parent.
  • Full CCS entitlement will be: $173.12 per day ($15.19 x 12 hours x 95% CCS).
  • As the family has elected for a 5% withholding, to manage any discrepancies in income estimates at tax time, the CCS entitlement is reduced to: $164.46.
  • Nez and Amy will need to pay the gap between $185 and $164.46 CCS entitlement per day for their younger child = $20.54 per day.
  • This entitlement is available for up to 3 days per week, after this the family will need to pay up to the full fee amount for any additional days as Amy is working less than 48 hours per fortnight.
  • The fee for the older child remains the same

How do I apply for CCS?

Families can apply for a Child Care Subsidy Assessment through Services Australia (formerly Centrelink).

You will receive a Customer Reference Number to use for your subsidy when you enrol.

Refer to Nido’s Enrolment Guide for further detail on how to apply for Child Care Subsidy.