Absences for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) 007-17103134

Allowable absences: The number of absence days that CCS /ACCS can be used for any reason is limited to 42 days across all services for a financial year. (or more if special purpose absences are available).

Special purpose absences: Government can decide to increase the number of allowable additional absences that CCS and/or ACCS can be paid for in an emergency.

Approved absences: CCS/ACCS can be paid for additional absences if they are approved based on the evidence provided.

Unapproved absences: When a child has exceeded their eligible 42 allowable absence day limit and no further evidence is provided, the absence is deemed an 'unapproved absence'.

Prescribed absences: Where an absence is recorded before the child's first physical attendance or after the child's last physical attendance and does meet the requirements of a prescribed or additional absence.

Note: CCS may be payable if a child is absent in the first 7 days before or after the child physically attended the service (including the first/last day of care), for any of the following prescribed reasons that will be determined by the service:

• any of the additional absence reasons
• the child, the customer, the customer’s partner or another person who the child lives is ill (where evidence has been provided to the service)
• the service has changed ownership
• the usual service is closed, and the child attends a different service under the same provider
• a family tragedy (a major event including the death of an immediate family member) has occurred
• the enrolment ceased incorrectly
• local emergencies declared and approved by the Department of Education

Disregarded absence: Where an absence is recorded before the child's first physical attendance or after the child's last physical attendance and does not meet the requirements of a prescribed or additional absence.

Note: CCS/ACCS are not payable for unapproved absences over the 42 absence day limit.

CCS/ACCS are also not payable for disregarded absences.

Note: in response to COVID-19, 62 absence days were accessible for the 2019-20 year and 52 for 2021-22 and 2022-23 years.

John and Karen have one child, Norman, who usually attends care for 100 hours per fortnight. The family has a CCS entitlement of 100 hours per fortnight.

In a particular week, Norman is absent for 2 days without specifying a reason.

As Norman has not been absent for more than the 42 day limit for the allowable limit in the financial year, CCS is still payable for the days.

Charles usually attends childcare totalling 30 hours (or 3 days) per week. The family has a CCS entitlement of 100 hours per fortnight.

In a particular week Charles is absent for all 3 days. Charles has already reached the 42 day allowable absence day limit in the current financial year. The family provides a medical certificate to the child care service which explains why Charles was absent for the week.

The service provider has approved the additional absence days and CCS is payable for the 30 hours.

There is no limit to the number of approved additional absence days a child care service can approve, providing the absence is supported by evidence.

John and Karen have one child, Norman, who usually attends care for 100 hours per fortnight. The family has a CCS entitlement of 100 hours per fortnight.

In a particular week, Norman is absent for 2 days without specifying a reason. Norman has 10 special purpose absences available. Norman has also not been absent for more than the 42 day limit for the allowable limit in the financial year.

CCS is payable for the 2 days Norman is absent, and these count as special purpose absence days. Norman has 8 special purposes absences remaining and there is no change to the number of absences Norman has used from the 42 day absence limit.

Charles usually attends care totalling 30 hours (or 3 days) per week. The family has a CCS entitlement of 100 hours per fortnight. Charles has had 10 allowable absences days so far this year.

In a particular week Charles is absent for all 3 days. The family provides a medical certificate to the child care service which explains why Charles was absent for the week.

The absence would be counted as an allowable absence as the 42 day limit hasn’t yet been reached. Charles absences will increase to 13.

Amanda has enrolled Lincoln into child care for the first time. Lincoln did not attend the child care service on the first session of care as Amanda decided to keep them home one more day.

Amanda contacted Services Australia to ask why they did not get CCS for this day because the child care service told Amanda to pay the full daily fee.

The Service Officer asked Amanda the reason for Lincoln not going to child care.

Amanda told the Service Officer they decided just to keep Lincoln home.

The Service Officer told Amanda that the reason for the absence is not one of the approved reasons for a payable absence in the first 7 days.

CCS cannot be paid for this day as:

• this is an absence before the child’s first session of care, and
• it does not meet the requirements of a prescribed or additional absence

Rachael has had child Daniel enrolled with a child care provider since 23 June 2022.

Daniel last attended child care with this child care provider on 11 July 2023.

Rachael did not inform the child care provider that Daniel will no longer be attending child care at their centre. CCS continued to be paid for Daniel as absence days until 30 October 2023, when Daniel’s enrolment automatically ceased.

CCS cannot be paid for these days as:

• they are absences after the child's last attendance, and
• they do not meet the requirements of a prescribed or additional absence

Joel has found a child care place and booked child care at a new service. Joel's child Megan does not attend the service on their first scheduled session of care as their relative who lives at the same address has been ill.

CCS can be paid for these absences as they:

• are in the first 7 days before Megan physically attends the child care,
• are for an approved reason, and
• does not meet the requirements of a prescribed or additional absence

Tracey has ceased child Matthew’s child care enrolment from 21 August 2023.

Matthew last attended child care with this child care provider on 20 July 2023. CCS continued to be paid for Matthew as absence days until 21 August 2023.

Tracey has provided evidence to the child care centre that Matthew was ill and unable to attend child care from 21 July 2023.

Tracey’s child care centre has approved the first 7 days of absences after 20 July 2023. CCS is payable for those days as it does meet the requirements of a prescribed or additional absence.

Any absences after the first 7 days after last day of physical absence is not subsidised.

Sue has been attending child care since April 2018, and the enrolment notice has an arrangement start date of 14 May 2018.

When Sue's parent transitioned to CCS on 2 July 2018, Sue did not attend child care from 2 to 5 July due to illness.

CCS was payable for this absence as Sue had been attending child care since the arrangement start date.

Rachel is Poppy's parent. Rachel is moving interstate on 23 September 2019 and on Friday 15 September gives 2 weeks' notice to the child care service that Poppy will be ceasing child care.

Rachel is liable to pay for care for the entire 2 weeks until 29 September however Poppy's last day of care is 22 September.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) cannot be paid for an absence after 22 September as there is no intention to use care for the final week.

Paul’s child Alex attends Koala Bear Kids. A new child care service opened closer to home and Paul decides to start sending Alex there.

On 4 September 2020 Paul gives Koala Bear Kids 2 weeks’ notice that Alex will be ceasing care.

Alex attends Koala Bear Kids for week starting 7 September. Paul gets a call from the new service asking if Alex would like to start attending care with them from the next week, 14 September. Paul agrees.

At this point, as Koala Bear Kids expect Alex to attend the service for another week CCS will not be payable. This is because Paul:

• chose not to send Alex to care, and
• it was not due to an approved absence reason

A local emergency then occurs in the area and Koala Bear kids have to close for the week from 14 September. CCS will now be payable for the week as this is an approved reason to pay CCS for up to 7 days from Alex’s last attendance.

An enrolment notice is in place for Jimmy who attends Outside School Hours Care 2 days per week. The arrangement start date was 13 January, with no arrangement end date recorded.

The service has been submitting session reports for Jimmy who last attended on 5 February. After that date, the session reports indicated Jimmy was absent (due a combination of illness and on holidays). The service received payments for these absent days as reports were submitted.

On 17 May, the enrolment automatically ‘ceased’ as Jimmy had not attended for 14 consecutive weeks. As a result, all payments for absent days after 5 February to 17 May were recovered from the service. This is because absent days are not payable after the last day the child physically attended a service.

The service passed these costs onto Jimmy’s family.

An enrolment notice is in place for Amber who attends care 5 days per week. The arrangement start date was 13 July 2020, with an arrangement end date of 4 November.

Amber does not attend care for the week leading up to and including Amber's last day of 4 November due to a family tragedy.

Prior to 13 July, CCS would not have been payable for Amber's last week of care as Amber didn’t actually attend the service. However, as the absence policy has changed and Amber could not attend due to an approved reason, CCS will now be paid for the week.

Violet attends a child care service located in a Commonwealth declared hotspot of more than 7 days, After 19 July 2021, Violet has not attended care due to lockdown.

During this lockdown period parents end the enrolment on 28 August 2021. CCS absences after the last day of attendance of 19 July 2021 to the last day of enrolment on the 28th August 2021 ( 6 weeks) will be considered as allowable absences and are payable.

An enrolment notice is in place for Jane who attends care 5 days per week. The arrangement start date was 13 July 2020, with an end date of 4 November 2023.

Jane last attended the child care on the 23 June 2021 and not attended since during the COVID 19 lockdown period. Jane’s parents decide to end the enrolment on the 8 November 2021.

Jane lives in a declared COVID-19 hotspot for more than 7 days and the lockdown in the area ended on the 31 October 2021. Jane’s parents are ending the enrolment within 28 days of the lockdown end date.

All CCS absences from Jane’s first attendance 23 June 2021 to the enrolment end date of 8 November will be paid.

Note: in all states and territories except Western Australia.

An enrolment notice is in place for Jane for 5 days per week starting from the 17 January 2022.

Jane lives in Sydney and does not attend the child care until 7 February 2022 due to COVID-19.

All absences from 17 January 2022 to the first physical attendance on the 7 February 2022 are considered as allowable absences and will be paid.

Note: in all states and territories except Western Australia.

Violet attends a child care service located in Melbourne. From 7 January 2022, Violet has not attended care due COVID-19.

Violet's parents end the enrolment on 28 January 2022. Absences after the last day of attendance on 6 January 2022 to the last day of enrolment on 28 January 2022 will be considered as allowable absences and will be paid.

Note: Western Australia only.

An enrolment notice is in place for Taylor for 5 days per week starting from 7 March 2022.

Taylor lives in Perth and does not attend the child care until 21 March 2022 due to COVID-19.

All absences from 7 March 2022 to the first physical attendance on the 21 March 2022 are considered as allowable absences and will be paid.

Note: Western Australia only.

Annabelle attends a child care service located in Bunbury. From 28 March 2022, Annabelle has not attended care due COVID-19.

Annabelle's parents end the enrolment on 8 April 2022. Absences after the last day of attendance on 25 March 2022 to the last day of enrolment on 8 April 2022 will be considered as allowable absences and will be paid.

Absences over 42

Paid as an approved absence day if a medical certificate is supplied to the child care service.

Absences over 42

Paid as an approved absence day if the absence occurs during an immunisation grace period and a medical certificate is supplied to the child care service certifying exposure to the infectious disease would pose a health risk to the child.

Absences over 42

Paid as an additional absence day.

Absences over 42

Paid as an additional absence day for up to 28 days following a period of local emergency (as approved by the Department of Education).

Absences over 42

Paid as an additional absence day if a court order, registered parenting plan, parenting plan or parenting order supplied to the child care service.

This is intended to cover attendance at an educational program that:

• is part-time
• is not provided by another approved child care service
• receives some funding from the Commonwealth or from a State/Territory Government
• is staffed by a professional teacher, and
• is attended by children before their first year of primary school

In Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, attendance at a kindergarten is included as attendance at a preschool for CCS purposes.

Absences over 42

Paid as an additional absence day.