What Every Parent Needs to Know About the New 2026 CCS Rules: 3 Day Guarantee Explained
From 5 January 2026, all eligible Australian families will be entitled to at least three days of subsidised child care per week (72 hours per fortnight), regardless of their work or study activity.
In practical terms, even if you’re not working, your child can get CCS on 3 days of care each week; if you are working or studying, you can still receive up to 5 days (100 hours) of subsidised care as before. The aim is to make early childhood education and care more accessible and affordable for every family, while maintaining full support for those who need full-time care. (Note: This change alters the hours of subsidised care you’re eligible for, but does not change your subsidy percentage or income eligibility thresholds. Those still depend on your family income and other CCS rules – families earning above ~$530k remain ineligible for CCS, and subsidy rates still range from 90% downward based on income.)
3 Days Subsidised for All
Every CCS-eligible family gets 72 hours/fortnight subsidised (approx. 3 days per week) from Jan 2026, no activity test required. No more 0 or 1 day limits – everyone is guaranteed three subsidised days of care.
More Accessible Child Care for Families
This change makes child care more accessible, especially for low-income and single-parent households.
Full-Time Coverage Unchanged
If you need full-week care, you can still get up to 100 hours/fortnight subsidised (5 days a week) as long as you meet the usual work/study test. The 3-Day Guarantee doesn’t reduce anyone’s existing entitlement – it only raises the minimum for those who had less.
What Does the 3-Day Guarantee Mean for Your Family?
In plain terms, child care will be more affordable for families who previously had limited subsidised hours.
For example, a stay-at-home parent or someone working just a few hours a week used to get at most 1 day of CCS-covered care per week (if that); now they’ll get 3 days covered. That’s a huge increase in support. Your child can attend more days of early learning, and you pay the subsidised rate for those days instead of full price.
At the same time, nothing is being taken away from families who already had higher CCS hours. If you and your partner (or you as a single parent) work full-time and currently get the maximum 100 hours/fortnight of subsidy, you will continue to get 100 hours – there’s no change for you. The 3-Day Guarantee just ensures that families who used to get 0, 24, or 36 hours now all get 72 hours. In other words, it lifts the floor of support while keeping the ceiling the same.
CCS Subsidised Hours Before vs. After the 2026 Changes
Table: How subsidised child care hour entitlements are increasing in 2026. “Before” reflects the old activity test tiers; “After” shows the new guarantee. Essentially, any scenario that was below 72 hours is now raised up to 72 hours, while those already at 72 or 100 hours remain the same or better. Indigenous families get a boost from a 36-hour minimum to 100 hours for each Indigenous child in care.
Who Is This Change More Important To?
The biggest changes are for families who had little or no subsidised care before – they jump to 3 days a week covered. The activity test isn’t eliminated, but its effect is now only felt if you need more than 3 days. 72 hours (3 days) is the new base for everyone, and you only have to think about the activity test if you’re trying to claim 4th or 5th day of care in a fortnight. In fact, many families won’t even need 100 hours, as 72 hours covers a typical three-day preschool schedule which is sufficient for many non-full-time working households.
The government introduced this policy because research showed the children who could benefit most from more days in early learning (like those from disadvantaged or low-income families) were often attending the least due to the old limits. By removing that barrier, more children can participate in quality early education, and parents have more freedom to work, study, or attend to other responsibilities without losing subsidised care.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be working to get the 3 days of subsidised care per week?
A: No. The whole point of the 3-Day Guarantee is that your child is entitled to 3 days of subsidised care regardless of your “activity” (work/study). Previously, if you weren’t working or studying enough, you would only be entitled to 0-1 day of subsidised care; from 2026, you’ll get 3 days no matter what. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, on leave, between jobs, or working minimal hours, you will still receive CCS on up to 72 hours of care per fortnight for each child. To get more than 3 days of subsidised care, you will still need to meet the normal activity test for the 4th and 5th day (see Q3). But for three days a week, there’s effectively no activity test – everyone passes – children and families!
We already get CCS. Do we have to apply or do anything to receive the new 72-hour benefit?
A: No action is required – it will be applied automatically. If you’re already receiving CCS payments, no action is required to get the 3-Day Guarantee. The change is legislated to start from 5 January 2026, and Services Australia (Centrelink) will adjust all CCS accounts to the new rules at that time. If you are currently receiving less than 72 hours per fortnight, your “eligible hours” will increase to 72 hours/fortnight in your Centrelink online account automatically. There’s no need to report anything extra unless you want to claim more than 72 hours (in which case make sure your activity hours are up to date, but that’s it). If you’re new to childcare, you will need to submit a CCS claim via myGov and once you’re approved, the same automatic guarantee will apply.
Can we still get more than 3 days of subsidised care per week if we need it?
A: Yes. Families can still qualify for up to 100 hours/fortnight of subsidised care (which is roughly 5 days a week) under the same conditions as before. The activity test isn’t going away – it’s just that its lowest tier is now 72 hours. Here’s how it works.
· All families get 72 hours per fortnight (3 days per week) by default.
· To get 100 hours (5 days), each parent (or the single parent) needs about 48 hours of work, study or other recognized activity per fortnight (approximately 2.5 days of activity per week). If that condition is met, you’ll automatically have the higher 100-hour cap. This is the same threshold as the old rules.
Does this increase my CCS rebate percentage or just the hours?
A: It only increases the hours, not the percentage. Your CCS subsidy percentage (the portion of fees the government pays) will still depend on your family’s income as it always has. For instance, if you’re entitled to an 85% subsidy now, you will continue to receive 85% CCS in 2026 – but now up to 3 days of care instead of maybe 1 previously. Many families will choose to use more care days as they will be subsidised, which means their total weekly spend might increase (because the child is attending more days).
Will my child’s centre automatically give us three days now? How do I get those extra days?
A: The government guarantees the additional hours of subsidised care, but you still need to arrange your child’s days with your child care provider. In other words, it doesn’t automatically enrol your child for 3 days a week – it just ensures that if you want up to 3 days, the subsidy will be there for those days. If your child currently attends 1 day and you want to increase to 3 days in 2026, you should talk to your child care provider about increasing days. Most child care services will try to accommodate increases, but availability can vary (especially on popular days). The good news is many services expect an increase in attendance with this policy and are planning for it. We recommend you “enquire now” or talk to your child care service to secure any additional days you might need for January. Once your child is enrolled for those days, CCS hours will be applied automatically (up to 72 hours). If you don’t need extra days, that’s fine too – you don’t have to use all 3 days; it’s simply an entitlement – the option is available if you need it.
Our household income is above the CCS cutoff (~$530k). Does this 3-Day Guarantee help us at all?
A: Unfortunately, no. The CCS income eligibility limit still applies. Families earning above the threshold (about $535,000 in 2025-26) are not eligible to receive CCS. The policy only affects families within the CCS income and eligibility rules by changing the CCS hours component. If you’re just below the cutoff and getting a small CCS percentage, you will get your 3 days covered (albeit at a low subsidy %). But if you’re over the limit, you’ll continue to pay full fees as you do now. However, if your income were to drop under the limit in the future, you could claim CCS and the 72-hour entitlement would apply.
Will the 3-Day Guarantee affect supply or availability of child care places?
A: It’s possible that demand for child care will increase when more families can afford 3 days, but the sector is preparing for it. Nationally, average child care occupancy is around 80%, meaning there is some capacity for additional days for many children. The legislation was accompanied by initiatives (like a Building Early Education Fund) to help ensure enough child care spots are available where needed. That said, some local areas with very high demand might experience waitlists. Our advice is: if you know you want to use more days, make arrangements early. The subsidy change itself doesn’t cause a shortage – it just enables more families to use existing services. If you find your current service can’t offer extra days, you could consider alternative services for those days or new services opening in 2026. In summary, there’s no guarantee every family will be able to access 3 days of child care, but there’s a concerted effort to meet the rising demand. And remember, using all 3 days is optional – you can stick with fewer days if that suits your child and schedule.
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