How much does family day care cost in Victoria?

How family day care fees work

Each family day care educator runs their own small business under an approved service, and sets their own fees. Most charge an hourly rate per child, so you pay for the hours you book. That's different from most childcare centres, which charge a set daily fee whether you use 8 hours or 12.

Some educators also charge a different rate for before and after school care, weekends or public holidays, and some include meals and nappies while others ask you to bring them. Your educator gives you a written fee schedule before you enrol.

Typical fees in Melbourne's south-east

Across Casey and Cardinia, family day care fees commonly fall somewhere around $11 to $15 an hour before the subsidy, depending on the educator, the hours and what's included. Many educators price close to the government's subsidy cap so families' out-of-pocket gap stays low.

For comparison, centres in the same area often charge around $130 to $170 a day before the subsidy.

How the Child Care Subsidy works

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is paid by the Australian Government straight to the service, which takes it off your fee. You pay the gap. For 2026–27:

• Hourly rate cap: $14.08 an hour for family day care, for all ages. The subsidy is calculated on the educator's rate or the cap, whichever is lower.
• Your percentage: families with combined income up to $88,520 get 90%. It falls by 1% for every $5,000 of income above that.
• Hours: under the 3 Day Guarantee, every eligible family gets at least 72 subsidised hours a fortnight per child, and up to 100 hours if both parents work, study or volunteer at least 48 hours a fortnight.
• Higher rate for siblings: families with more than one child aged 5 or under in care may get a higher rate for the younger children.
• Withholding: 5% of your subsidy is usually held back until your income is confirmed after tax time.

To receive CCS you apply through your myGov account linked to Centrelink, and you'll need your and your child's Customer Reference Numbers (CRNs). Five Stars Learning's CCS approval is in progress, so ask us for an update.

Worked example

Here's an example family. Your own figures will be different.

If the same family used a centre charging $150 for an 11-hour day, the subsidy would be capped at $15.19 an hour, and they'd pay for the full day even if they only needed 9 hours. Run your own numbers with our Child Care Subsidy calculator.

What's included in family day care fees?

This varies between educators, so always check. Commonly included:

• the educator's care and learning program;
• art, craft and play materials;
• local outings and playgroups;
• often meals and snacks, and sometimes nappies, wipes and sunscreen.

The service's administration levy is usually built into the educator's hourly fee rather than charged to you separately.

Questions to ask about fees

• What is the hourly rate, and are there different rates for early, late or weekend care?
• Do I pay for booked hours if my child is sick or we're on holiday?
• Do you charge when you're closed on public holidays or your own holidays?
• Are meals, nappies and excursions included?
• How much notice do I need to give to change days or leave?

Families get 42 allowable absence days per child each financial year, where CCS is still paid for days your child misses.