IT feels like the school year has barely begun, yet somehow the Easter holidays are here!
By now most families have settled into the school rhythm, but just as you’ve caught your breath – the Easter bunny and school holidays arrive.
For many families that means juggling vacation care and the costs that come with it. Here’s what some parents don’t realise: you can still get a child care subsidy (CCS) for school aged kids attending outside school hours care (OSHC), including many school holiday programs.
A lot of families assume that once kids start primary school, that CCS for their child will stop. Not true!
If your child is under 14 years and not yet in secondary school, you may still be eligible — not just for vacation care, but for before and after school care too.
How common is OSHC?
OSHC is a big part of life for working families. Nationally, more than 550,000 children attend OSHC services, and a significant number receive CCS to help with the cost.
How CCS works for school-aged kids
If your family earns under $85,279 a year, you could have up to 90 per cent of your OSHC fees covered by CCS. Even if your income is higher (below $535,279), you may still receive support — the subsidy just gradually reduces as your income rises.
What surprises me is how many primary school parents I’ve spoken with who have paid full price for OSHC simply because they didn’t know CCS was an option.
And here’s something new: from 5 January this year, changes to CCS rules mean all CCS eligible families can get at least 72 hours of subsidised child care each fortnight, regardless of activity levels.
This can help families juggling shift work, casual hours, study, or unpredictable schedules.
What you need to do:
1. Find a service Head to StartingBlocks.gov.au to search for approved child care and OSHC services in your area. You can filter by school-age care and see what’s available near you.
2. Check your CCS eligibility Use the Payment Finder on the Services Australia website to estimate your subsidy based on your family income. When you’re ready, you can submit a CCS claim through your Centrelink online account via myGov.
3. Claim early You can claim CCS up to six months before your child starts care — so it’s worth doing as soon as you’re thinking about booking vacation care.
4. Keep enrolment details up to date If your child attended child care last year, you may not need to submit a new claim.
• If they’ve been enrolled in child care within the past six months, you may only need to update your enrolment details with your child care service.
• If it has been longer than six months, you’ll need to submit a new claim. If your child already receives CCS but hasn’t attended OSHC for 14 weeks, ask your holiday program to resubmit their enrolment.
Then log in to your Centrelink online account via myGov to confirm it. CCS can only be paid once enrolments are current and confirmed.
A little effort now can save you a lot later
I know life admin feels never ending — school runs, work or study commitments, lunch orders, sports days, birthday parties, and the general chaos of raising small humans.
But taking a few minutes now to check your CCS eligibility could make a meaningful difference to your family budget.
So with Easter school holidays here, hop onto the Services Australia website and click on ‘Raising Kids’.
You might be surprised by how much support your family could receive.
Chelsea Kviklys
Services Australia
