There are four steps to enrol a child for Child Care Subsidy with Centrelink
1. Your family makes a claim for Child Care Subsidy with Centrelink.
2. Kids College and your family agree with an arrangement for care of a child. The specific days and they are enrolled under the category of routine sessions, with casual care permitted.
3. Kids College submits an enrolment notice to Centrelink.
4. Your family confirms the enrolment with Centrelink.

Your family can create or access your Centrelink online account via www.my.gov.au to lodge a Child Care Subsidy Claim for your child. Your family can call Centrelink about Child Care Subsidy and other family payments on 136 150, from Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm, including for staff assistance in completing the claim form.
SUBSIDY
The amount of subsidy to which a family is entitled is determined by the: family income, results of an activity test and the types of eligible child care services.
FAMILY INCOME
Family income is the adjusted taxable income of the individual and their partner (if they have a partner) and is used to determine the percentage of subsidy to which an individual is entitled. To calculate the entitlements and payments for each child, the individual will need to provide a reasonable estimate of their adjusted taxable income directly to Centrelink. These details will be used along with the information submitted by the provider in their session reports, for the calculation.
Table 7: Current levels of family income and the amount of Child Care Subsidy payable as a percentage of the actual fee charged or hourly rate cap, effective from 2 July 2018
Family income | Subsidy per cent of the actual fee charged or hourly rate cap, whichever is lower |
Up to $66,958 | 85 per cent |
More than $66,958 to below $171,958 | Decreasing to 50 per cent* |
$171,958 to below $251,248 | 50 per cent |
$251,248 to below $341,248 | Decreasing to 20 per cent* |
$341,248 to below $351,248 | 20 per cent |
$351,248 or more | 0 per cent |
* Subsidy gradually decreases by 1 per cent for each $3000 of family income.
ACTIVITY TEST
The hours of subsidised child care per fortnight that a family is entitled to is determined by an activity test. A broad range activities meet the activity test requirements, including paid work, being self- employed, carrying out unpaid work in a family business, looking for work, and recognised volunteering or studying. There are exemptions to the activity test for parents who legitimately cannot meet the activity requirements.
Families who do not meet the activity test, but have a preschool ( in West Australia this is referred to as Kindy) aged child attending preschool in a child Centre Based Day Care service, will be exempt from the activity test and eligible for 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight.

ELIGIBLE CARE SERVICES
Kids College is a long daycare, centre based daycare. Hourly rate caps are the upper limit on the amount the Australian Government will subsidise approved child care. They vary across service types to reflect differences in operating costs and average fees charged. Combined with the family’s Child Care Subsidy percentage, the rate caps will be used to calculate the amount of subsidy per hour each family is entitled to receive. Kids College hourly rate falls well below the hourly cap and as such families will receive their applicable percentage of the actual fee we have charged.

ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES
There are four different payments under the Additional Child Care Subsidy:
- Additional Child Care Subsidy (Child wellbeing) – to help children who are at risk of serious abuse or neglect.
- Additional Child Care subsidy (grandparent) – to help grandparents on income support who are the principal caregiver of their grandchildren.
- Additional Child Care Subsidy (temporary financial hardship) – to help families experiencing financial hardship.
- Additional Child Care Subsidy (transition to work) – to help low income families transitioning from income support to work.
( This is a brief summary of the Centrelink processes taken from the Child Care Provider Handbook V1 June 2018. For more details please go to www.humanservices.gov.au )
KIDS COLLEGE FAMILY
At Kids College we work each day embedding our values and philosophy into each facet of what we do. We continually improve our practices by critically reflecting and engaging in meaningful relationships with our community and for this we need your support and input. Make sure to follow Kids College Childcare on facebook, watch for our regular emails and keep an eye on our Kids College website. Share in our vision of creating the very best childcare where children experience love, laughter and learning every day. You can reach us on Jennifer@kidscollege.com.au
KIDS COLLEGE PHILOSOPHY QUOTE
We believe that each child has the right to a happy, safe, secure and educationally focused childhood.
NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD
7.1.2 Management Systems. Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service.
