What is the 3 Day Guarantee?

It is a minimum number of subsidised childcare hours. Since 5 January 2026, every family eligible for CCS gets at least 72 hours a fortnight of subsidised care for each child (3 days a week), regardless of how many hours they work, study or volunteer. It replaced the CCS activity test, which tied subsidised hours to those activities.

Who gets 100 hours a fortnight?

Some families get 100 hours a fortnight of subsidised care for each child. That includes families:

  • caring for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child
  • where each parent (both, in a couple) does more than 48 hours a fortnight of recognised activity, such as work or study
  • with an exemption or in exceptional circumstances
  • receiving Additional Child Care Subsidy (child wellbeing, temporary financial hardship or grandparent)

Other exemptions are assessed case by case — for example, disability or a medical condition, receiving Carer Payment, grandparents with at least 65% care of a grandchild, and exceptional circumstances such as family and domestic violence. Services Australia lists them in full.

What doesn’t change?

Your subsidy percentage. It is still worked out from your family income, the type of care you use and the hourly rate cap, and most families still pay a gap fee. The guarantee changes how many hours are subsidised, not how much of each hour.

It is not a guaranteed place, either. Centres still have a limited number of places and may have waiting lists.

Do I need to do anything?

If you already get CCS, no — you automatically receive at least 72 hours a fortnight. If you have never claimed CCS, you need to make a CCS claim with Services Australia before you can get the guaranteed hours.

Does it cover before and after school care?

Yes. The guarantee applies to CCS-approved centre-based day care, family day care, outside school hours care (before school, after school and vacation care) and in-home care.

How are the hours counted?

By the session your service charges for, not the hours your child attends. If a centre charges a daily fee for a 10-hour session, each day uses 10 of your subsidised hours, even if you pick up early. Where a service charges by the hour, only the hours charged count.

At Jolly Frog Westmead, a day of long day care is a 10-hour session (8am – 6pm), so 72 subsidised hours cover up to 7 days a fortnight. At Northmead, a preschool day is a 9-hour session (8am – 5pm), so 72 hours cover up to 8 days a fortnight. Care beyond your subsidised hours is not covered by CCS.

Our current daily fees, and what a family on the maximum subsidy pays, are on our fees and subsidy page.