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How do we find childcare, before-school care or holiday care?
Childcare in Australia is mostly private, rated against a national quality standard, and part-paid by the government through the Child Care Subsidy. Whether you get the subsidy depends on your visa, so many families on temporary visas pay the full fee.
In 30 seconds
- The Child Care Subsidy pays up to 90% of fees, up to an hourly cap. You or your partner must be a citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen or hold certain partner or protection visas
- Since 5 January 2026, every eligible family gets at least 72 subsidised hours a fortnight for each child, whatever your work hours
- Popular centres have waiting lists: join several as early as you can, even before you arrive
Subsidised hours72 a fortnightAt least, per child, since 5 Jan 2026
Top subsidy90%Family income up to A$88,520
Hourly capA$15.19Long day care, under school age
Average dayAbout A$144Long day care, before subsidy, about £75
Types of care
| Type | What it is |
|---|---|
| Long day care | A centre open about 10 to 12 hours a day, all year, for babies to school age |
| Family day care | A small group cared for in an educator’s own home, through a registered scheme |
| Preschool or kindergarten | An early learning program, usually for the 1 or 2 years before school. It may be in a centre, a community preschool or a school. Names differ by state |
| Outside school hours care (OSHC) | Before- and after-school care, usually at or near the school |
| Vacation care | Day programs in the school holidays, often run by the OSHC service |
| In Home Care | A subsidised carer at home, only for families who can’t use other care. See hiring a nanny |
Finding a place and checking quality
Search on Starting Blocks, the national site, for services, fees, vacancies and quality ratings. Every approved service is rated against the National Quality Standard. There are five ratings, from highest to lowest: Excellent, Exceeding, Meeting, Working Towards and Significant Improvement Required. A new service may not have a rating yet.
- Join the waiting lists of several services, especially for babies and in inner suburbs
- Visit, and ask about staff turnover, daily routines and what the fee includes, such as meals and nappies
- Ask how much notice you must give to change days or leave
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
The government pays the subsidy straight to the service, and you pay the gap. You claim through Centrelink in myGov.
- Residence: on the day you claim, you or your partner must live in Australia and be a citizen, a permanent visa holder, a Special Category visa holder (New Zealand citizens) or hold certain temporary visas, such as a partner provisional visa (subclass 309 or 820) or a protection-type visa
- Most temporary visas don’t qualify, including the 482 skilled visa and the Working Holiday visa. On those, you pay the full fee unless your partner qualifies
- Income: families earning up to A$88,520 get 90%. It falls by 1% for every A$5,000 above that, reaching 0% at A$538,520. A higher rate can apply to second and younger children aged 5 or under, if family income is below A$370,727
- The cap: the percentage applies to your fee or the hourly cap, whichever is lower. From 6 July 2026 the cap is A$15.19 an hour for long day care before school age, A$13.30 for school-age children, and A$14.08 for family day care
- Hours: the 3 Day Guarantee gives every eligible family at least 72 subsidised hours a fortnight per child. Families with more than 48 hours of work, study or volunteering a fortnight, and families caring for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child, can get 100 hours
A place isn’t guaranteed. The 3 Day Guarantee is about subsidised hours, not places. You still need to find a service with room.
What it costs
Fees are set by each service. Before subsidy, long day care averaged about A$144 a day nationally at the end of 2025. Inner-city centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane often charge A$150 to A$210 a day. On a A$150 day of 10 hours, a family on the full 90% subsidy pays about A$15. Without the subsidy, you pay the full A$150 (about £78).
Free and funded kinder and preschool
| State | What’s on offer in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Victoria | Free Kinder: free 5 to 15 hours a week for 3-year-olds and 15 hours for 4-year-olds at participating kinders. In long day care, a yearly fee offset of up to A$2,101. Open to everyone: you don’t need citizenship or the CCS |
| NSW | Start Strong cuts fees at eligible community and mobile preschools for children aged 3 and over, towards 600 hours a year. Citizenship and residency aren’t considered |
| Queensland | Free Kindy: 15 hours a week for 40 weeks in the year before Prep, at a kindy or long day care. Open to residents and to temporary visa holders who are exempt from state school fees |
| WA | Kindergarten at public schools runs five days a fortnight. A pilot offers free full-time kindy at 5 schools in 2026, rising to 10 schools in 2027 |
Before school, after school and holidays
OSHC and vacation care count as approved care, so the CCS applies if you’re eligible. Places at popular schools fill quickly, so book at enrolment time. Book holiday programs as soon as bookings open.
What to do next
- Check whether your visa qualifies for the Child Care Subsidy before you budget
- Search Starting Blocks and join several waiting lists
- Check your state’s free or funded kinder program for 3- and 4-year-olds
Keep going
Sources
- ACECQA: 3 Day Guarantee, changes to the CCS activity test from January 2026
- Starting Blocks: 3 Day Guarantee changes to Child Care Subsidy
- Department of Education: Child Care Subsidy hourly rate caps are changing
- Services Australia: Your income can affect Child Care Subsidy
- Services Australia: Residence rules for Child Care Subsidy
- DSS Family Assistance Guide: residence, determined visa subclasses
- Starting Blocks: Service quality ratings
- CCS Checker: Average childcare cost in Australia
- KindiCare: What does childcare cost?
- Victorian Government: About Free Kinder
- NSW Department of Education: 2026 Start Strong for Community Preschools guidelines
- Queensland Government: Free Kindy information pack
- Goodstart: Free Kindy in Queensland
- WA Government: Free full-time kindergarten pilot
- WA Government: Full-time kindergarten pilot expanded to five more schools (Jul 2026)