From July 2, 2018, one new Child Care Subsidy will replace the two current child care payments. This transition will happen automatically.
To transition, you will need to complete an online Child Care Subsidy assessment using your Centrelink online account through myGov.
You should do this as soon as possible.
You will be asked to provide some new information and confirm your current details, including: ● Combined family income
● Activity level of parents
● Type of child care service
If families do not complete their assessment before July 2, 2018, they may not receive any child care fee assistance.
Child Care Subsidy
The Package includes a new Child Care Subsidy, which replaces the current Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate. The Child Care Subsidy will be paid directly to services.
There are also changes to the annual cap which will make child care more affordable for most families.
Three things will determine a family’s level of Child Care Subsidy:
● A family’s annual adjusted taxable income will determine the percentage
of subsidy they are eligible for
● An activity test will determine how many hours of subsidized care
families can access, up to a maximum of 100 per fortnight, and
● The type of child care service will determine the hourly rate cap.
More information about individual subsidy rates and annual cap changes is available in the New Child Care Package brochure.
Some basic requirements must be satisfied for an individual to be eligible to receive Child Care Subsidy for a child. These include:
● the age of the child (must be 13 or under and not attending secondary
school)
● the child meeting immunisation requirements
● the individual, or their partner, meeting the residency requirements.
Using myGov
Step 1. Sign in to your myGov account. If you don’t have one, you will need
to create a myGov account.
Step 2. Link myGov to Centrelink. You can do this under Services.
Step 3. Select Centrelink and complete the Child Care Subsidy
Assessment.
The Child Care Safety Net
The Package includes a $1.2 billion Safety Net to give the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, as well as those from regional and remote communities, a strong start through access to quality early learning and child care.
Learn More: Estimate what your new Child Care Subsidy might be, go to the Payment and Services Finder.
Resources
● Brochure
● Poster
● Cinema ad
● Frequently Asked Questions
Family Webcast Information Session
The Department of Education and Training hosted a series of Family Webcast Information Sessions in April and May 2018 to help families understand what they need to do to transition to the Child Care Subsidy and learn more about the New Child Care Package starting on 2 July 2018.