3 Day Guarantee

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a payment from the Australian Government designed to help eligible families with the cost of childcare. It’s paid directly to childcare providers (like us) who pass the saving onto families as a fee reduction. This lowers your out-of-pocket expenses, making care more affordable.

The amount of CCS you receive depends on several factors, including your family's income, the type of care you choose, your child's age, and how much you work, study, or volunteer (known as the activity test).

The 3 Day Guarantee is a new change to the Child Care Subsidy that guarantees every eligible family access to three full days (72 hours per fortnight) of subsidised early learning and care.

The changes will also remove the activity test for the base level of subsidy. Meaning you no longer have to work, study or volunteer a certain number of hours to get the base level of subsidised care.

Under the new rules, every family earning a combined income of less than $533,280 per year will be eligible for three full days (72 hours per fortnight) of subsidised early learning and care.

Some families will be able to access additional support, receiving up to 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight.

This includes families who:

• Are caring for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child;
• Have more than 48 hours each fortnight of recognised participation;
• Have an exemption or are experiencing exceptional circumstances;
• Receive the Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) child wellbeing, temporary financial hardship, or grandparent payments.

 The 3-Day Guarantee helps WA families access more affordable, flexible, and high-quality early learning. Key benefits include:

• Real savings, some families will see significant fee reductions and up to thousands in savings per year.
• Greater accessibility, ensuring access to care is not compromised if parents are on parental leave, looking for work, or have had their work hours reduced. 
• More flexibility for families when choosing early learning services that best suit their needs.
• Essential support for all children to access the lifelong benefits of early education, particularly those from low-income households.

Many families will see significant fee reductions and up to thousands in savings per year. Here’s an example scenario:

• Sarah and Matt have one child enrolled in care three days per week (36 hours total). 
• Their combined income is $90,000. Sarah works full-time, and Matt works casually (8 hours/week).
• Previously they were only eligible for 18 hours of subsidised care per week.

Under the 3 Day Guarantee, they will now receive 36 subsidised hours per week, saving them around:

• $230 per week 
• $11,400 per year (based on average 2025–26 fees)

Here’s how savings compare across different household incomes:

Figures are based on one child in care for 36 hours/week, 50 weeks/year, using projected 2025–26 average hourly fees. Figures are rounded.

If you already receive the CCS, you don’t need to do anything to benefit from these changes when they start in 2026.

Remember families must still meet all other eligibility criteria and will still be required to pay the gap fee (the difference between our fee and the subsidy amount), except in certain circumstances.  

The guarantee is for subsidised hours, not a guaranteed place at a centre, so you will still need to secure enrolment with your chosen provider.

You can use the governments Child Care Subsidy Calculator to estimate your updated out-ofpocket costs (2026 rates).