Government rebates

What is Child Care Benefit?

Child Care Benefit (CCB) is a payment from the Australian Government that helps you with the cost of child care. You can choose to receive CCB as an annual lump sum payment or as reduced child care fees throughout the year.  The Child Care Benefit is income tested and is usually paid directly to approved Child Care Services to reduce the fees that eligible families pay.

You can apply for the Child Care Benefit online or in person through Centrelink. To apply online, visit the Department of Human Services website.

Eligibility for the Child Care Benefit

• Your child must be attending approved child care or registered child care
• You or your partner must meet the residency and child’s immunisation requirements
• You must be the person responsible for paying the child care fees

Am I eligible for Child Care Benefit?

To be eligible for CCB you (as a parent or guardian) must meet these requirements:

• you have a child in your care who meets the immunisation requirements*
• your child attends CCB approved or registered care
• you have the liability to pay for the cost of your child care

*As of January 1st 2018 the immunisation requirements have changed, and children who are not immunised can no longer be enrolled in childcare. Please refer to the NSW Health website for more information.

How much Child Care Benefit can I receive?

The amount of CCB you can receive depends on:

• your income
• the type of care you use (approved or registered)
• the amount of care you use
• the reason you are using care
• the number of children you have in care.

You can estimate your CCB and CCR entitlements by using the Child Care Estimator on the Department of Human Services website.

What is the work, training, study test?

The work, training, study test looks at whether you (and your partner, if you have one) used child care for a work-related commitment. A work-related commitment includes paid work, looking for work, study or training or voluntary work to improve your work skills. All eligible families can receive up to 24 hours of CCB for approved care, per child, per week without meeting the work, training, study test. For up to 50 hours per child, per week you need to be working, training or studying for at least 15 hours per week (or 30 hours per fortnight) or have an exemption from this test.
Comprehensive information is available on www.mychild.gov.au website.

Extracted/Resourced from www.mychild.gov.au website July 2015