3 Day Guarantee for the Child Care Subsidy
Great news for families – from January 2026 the Australian Government is replacing the Child Casre Subsidy activity test to guarantee at least 3 days of subsidised early childhood education and care each week.
This means ALL families will:
- No longer require an activity test
- Families receive 72 hours of care subsidised per fortnight
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families receive 100 hours of care subsidised per fortnight
Example of benefits
Sarah and Alex are a couple with one child accessing ECEC at 3 days (36 hours) per week. Their combined family income is $90,000 per annum. Sarah works full-time and Alex works 8 hours per week. Previously, they were eligible for 18 hours of subsidised ECEC per week (36 hours per fortnight).
From January 2026, they are eligible for 36 hours per week (72 hours per fortnight).
This saves them $230 per week of care ($11,400 per annum) from their provider charging theaverage Centre-Based Day Care hourly fee.