Child Care Subsidy Victoria

Welcome to Inspire ELJ, a government-approved childcare and kindergarten program provider, Inspire campuses are registered for the Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS). 

CCS is a program the Australian Government provides to help families with the cost of child care. It is designed to make child care more affordable and accessible and ensure all children have access to a quality early-years education and care experience.

How Does the Child Care Subsidy Work?

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a government payment that helps reduce the cost of early childhood education and care. The subsidy is paid directly to approved providers, including Inspire Early Learning Journey, and passed on to families as a fee reduction. Families then pay the remaining balance, often referred to as the ‘gap’ fee.

While the current CCS system is based on factors such as activity levels, family income and service type, this process will evolve in January 2026 when the Activity Test is replaced by the 3-Day Guarantee for Early Education. Until then, families must continue to meet the existing CCS requirements.

Can I Receive CCS?

Until the new policy begins in 2026, families remain eligible for CCS if they meet the current criteria, which include:

• Attend an approved childcare service such as Inspire Early Learning Journey
• Meet residency and immunisation requirements.
• Check if you are eligible here.

3-Day Guarantee for Early Education

From January 2026, the Australian Government will introduce the 3-Day Guarantee – Early Education policy. This major reform will replace the current CCS Activity Test and ensure all families have access to a minimum of three days of subsidised early childhood education and care each week, regardless of their activity level or work hours.

What the 3-Day Guarantee Means for Families

The new guarantee aims to remove barriers to early learning and give every child consistent access to high-quality education in their formative years. For Inspire families, this means:

• Greater affordability – at least three days of childcare will attract government subsidy for all families.

• More reliable access – families can secure regular attendance, supporting children’s stability, learning, and social development.

• Simplified requirements – the policy removes the need to meet activity-test thresholds for subsidised care.

As this policy comes into effect, Inspire ELJ will continue to guide families through the transition and ensure they are supported in understanding the new subsidy structure.

For more information, please refer to the official government update here.

How much CCS can I get?

To calculate your own CCS, you must provide information such as your family income, the number of hours of childcare you require, and the type of childcare service you use. The amount of subsidy you receive will depend on these factors and the hourly rate of your childcare service.

Once you have provided all the necessary information, the government will determine your eligibility and the amount of subsidy you are entitled to receive. The subsidy will be paid directly to your child care service provider to reduce the out-of-pocket costs for your family.

To calculate how much you can get, follow this link:

CCS calculator

This is a third-party calculator. The actual amount of CCS you can get should be determined by the government. To be accurate, please refer to the government website.

The relationship between your family income and CCS percentage:

How to claim your CCS?

Follow these steps:

• Sign in to myGov and then go to Centrelink.
• Select Make a claim or view claim status from your homepage.
• Select Get started from the Families category.
• Select Child Care Subsidy.
• Answer the Eligibility check questions first.
• Start your claim and answer the questions about your situation.
• Review and confirm your claim.

Choose from all our Campuses, Each with the Child Care Subsidy available in Melbourne