Canberra Parents Navigate Childcare Costs and Subsidy Options

Childcare in Canberra

Canberra families face some of Australia's highest childcare costs, reflecting the ACT's generally high cost of living. However, the federal Child Care Subsidy (CCS) significantly reduces out-of-pocket costs for most families. The ACT also has strong preschool provision in the year before school.

Types of Childcare

Long Day Care (LDC) is the most common form for children aged 0-5 years. These are centre-based services operating roughly 7am-6pm on weekdays. Canberra has a dense network of LDC centres across all suburbs. Family Day Care (FDC) is provided in a registered carer's home — typically a more flexible and often lower-cost option. In-home care is funded care provided in your own home (for families with specific needs).

Preschool/Kindergarten in the ACT: all 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of funded preschool per week in the year before school, delivered through both government schools and approved private providers.

Costs

Canberra long day care fees typically range from $140-$200+ per day for a full-time place. Before the CCS, this is among Australia's most expensive. The average centre fee in the ACT is roughly $165/day. Family day care is typically $10-20/day cheaper. After CCS, families earning under $80,000 receive the maximum 90% subsidy; families earning $80,000-$530,000 receive a sliding subsidy (90% to 0%).

Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

The CCS is paid by the federal government directly to childcare providers, reducing your gap fee. Use the Services Australia CCS calculator (servicesaustralia.gov.au) to estimate your subsidy based on family income, hours of recognised activity, and number of children in care. Apply through your myGov account. From July 2023, the maximum subsidy increased to 90% for families earning under $80,000.

Finding Childcare in Canberra

Canberra has significant childcare waitlists at popular centres, particularly in growth suburbs like Gungahlin and inner-north Canberra. Start the waitlist process as early as possible — many families join waiting lists before birth. The government's Starting Blocks website (startingblocks.gov.au) is the official tool for finding and comparing approved care services near you.

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.