Since January, every CCS-eligible family gets at least 3 days (72 hours a fortnight) of subsidised care, guaranteed. That's a genuinely reassuring change - no forms to fill out, no risk of losing care just because your hours dipped one fortnight. But depending on your work or study hours, your family might actually be eligible for up to 5 days a week, and a lot of families don't realise it's even on the table. Here's the plain version, plus a quick way to check where you sit.
A quick recap - what's actually changed
Until January 2026, something called the 'activity test' worked out how many hours of subsidised care every family could access, based on hours spent working, studying or looking for work. That system has been replaced. Now, every CCS-eligible family automatically receives the guaranteed 3 days, regardless of activity levels, nothing to apply for, nothing to prove.
The old activity test hasn't disappeared completely, though, it's simply been repositioned. It only comes into play now if a family wants to access more than the guaranteed amount, up to 5 days a week. If 3 days already covers what your family needs, there's genuinely nothing more you need to do.
Read more: New Child Care Subsidy Changes in 2026: What the 3 Day Guarantee Means for Your Family
The two numbers that matter
- 3 days a week (72 hours a fortnight) - every CCS-eligible family gets this automatically. Nothing to apply for.
- 5 days a week (100 hours a fortnight) - possible if you (and your partner, if you have one) each do more than 48 hours a fortnight of work, study, training or job-seeking.
If you're not sure which one applies to you, that's completely normal, most families don't need to think about this until their hours change.
A quick example
Say Josh works 4 days a week and Sarah works 3 days and is studying part-time. Both of them clear more than 48 hours a fortnight of combined work and study. Because Services Australia looks at whichever parent does less, and that's still over the 48-hour mark, their family can access the full 5 days, not just the guaranteed 3. If Sarah had instead only been doing 20 hours a fortnight, the family would be capped at the guaranteed 3 days, even though Josh works full-time. It's also worth knowing this isn't about how much either parent earns, a lower-paid job and a higher-paid job count toward the 48-hour threshold in exactly the same way, because it's hours that matter, not income.
Does this sound like you?
- You and your partner (if you have one) both work, study or train more than 48 hours a fortnight combined
- Your hours have recently increased - new job, more shifts, started studying
- You're a single parent working or studying more than 48 hours a fortnight
If none of that sounds like your situation, the guaranteed 3 days is likely already the right fit, and that's a good, cost-free outcome too. There's no downside to checking, though, especially if your circumstances have shifted recently.
A few common questions
Does this change what I pay per day? No. Accessing extra days doesn't change your CCS percentage, which is based on family income, not activity. You'll simply pay your usual gap fee for each additional day you use.
What if my hours go up and down from fortnight to fortnight? A one-off busy week generally isn't going to shift your subsidised hours. It's the ongoing, settled pattern that matters, so it's worth updating your details once a change looks like it's sticking around rather than after every unusual week.
Does this apply per child, or per family? The hours apply per child, so if you have more than one little one in care, each child's eligibility is worked out the same way, using the same family activity figures.
The easiest next step
You don't need to work this out alone. Bring us your current work or study hours (a rough estimate is fine to start) and our centre team can talk through whether extra days make sense for your family, and help you update your enrolment if they do. It often takes less time than you'd think, and there's never any pressure, we're simply here to help you make sense of it.
Find your nearest Milestones Early Learning centre
Contact our Family Support Team on 1800 244 532
Use our Child Care Subsidy calculator to estimate your out of pocket costs.