How much does daycare
actually cost in Normanhurst?

At our centre, the full daily fee is $170-$185 depending on the room. But almost no family pays the full daily fee, because the Child Care Subsidy reduces it substantially. Here's the actual maths for 2026-27.

The full daily fees

At Normanhurst Child Care Centre:

• Possum Room (0-2 years): $185 per day
• Koala Room (2-3 years): $180 per day
• Emu Room (3-6 years): $170 per day

This is for an 11-hour day (7am-6pm), with all 5 meals, the education program, sunscreen, and disposable nappies (for Possum and Koala) included. There are no "extras" on top.

The Child Care Subsidy

The Australian Government pays a percentage of your fees directly to the centre, depending on your combined family income. For 2026-27:

• Income under $88,520: 90% subsidy
• Subsidy reduces by 1 percentage point for every $5,000 above that
• Hits 0% at family income of $538,520

The subsidy applies to the lower of the centre's hourly fee or the government's hourly rate cap, which is $15.19 per hour for centre-based care under school age in 2026-27.

What this works out to in practice

For a family with combined income of $120,000, three days per week in our Emu Room ($170/day):

• CCS rate: approximately 83.7% (the rate falls 1 percentage point for each $5,000 above $88,520, calculated exactly by Centrelink)
• Daily fee subsidised: $15.19 × 11 = $167.09 (the cap)
• Subsidy received: 83.7% × $167.09 = about $140
• Plus the $2.91 per day above the cap (full fee on the unsubsidised portion)
• Daily gap fee: about $30 (before withholding)
• Weekly cost: about $90
• Yearly cost (50 weeks): about $4,500

The 3-Day Guarantee

From 5 January 2026, the new 3-Day Guarantee means every CCS-eligible family gets at least 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight, regardless of work or study activity. That covers three days a week for most families.

Some families can access up to 100 hours per fortnight, including families who work or study more hours, families with an approved exemption, or families with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child in care.

Second child higher rate

If you have a second child aged 5 or under in approved care and your family income is under $370,727 (2026-27), the second child gets a higher subsidy rate. The higher rate uses its own income test, separate from the standard rate. For 2026-27 it goes down step by step:

• Income up to $146,437: 95% subsidy
• $146,437 to $191,437: goes down from 95% to 80%
• $191,437 to $270,727: stays at 80%
• $270,727 to $360,727: goes down from 80% to 50%
• $360,727 to $370,727 (2026-27): stays at 50%
• Above $370,727 (2026-27): the standard rate applies

The 5% withholding

Centrelink keeps back 5% of your subsidy during the year, in case your income estimate was too low. This is the standard default rate. If your estimate was right, you get it back at tax time. You can change the withholding rate in your myGov account if you prefer.

Try the calculator

The CCS gap-fee calculator on our homepage gives you a personalised estimate. Just enter your combined family income, your work or study hours, and the days per week you need, and it shows the daily, weekly and yearly out-of-pocket cost.

Help with claiming CCS

To claim CCS, you need a myGov account linked to Centrelink, and you need to register your child for CCS through the Child Care Subsidy section. Centrelink will give you a CRN (customer reference number) for yourself and one for your child, and we use those to lodge attendance through the centre's software each fortnight. We can walk you through this on a tour or at enrolment.