Paying fees

Fees

At Early Learning Victoria centres, fees work in a similar way to other providers. Thanks to government assistance, most families won't pay the full fee. However, there may still be an out-of-pocket cost. You can use the Australian Government’s Child Care Subsidy fee calculator to estimate your out-of-pocket costs, or discuss fees with the centre director.

Your fortnightly invoice will:

• break down the fee
• show any fee assistance
• list the remaining ‘gap fee’ you need to pay.

The gap fee (after Child Care Subsidy and Free Kinder assistance) must be paid via direct debit.

_{Note: This is just an example. Your actual fees may be different depending on your personal situation and eligibility for subsidies. The income used in this example ($118,000) is higher than the median family income of $94,198 in the areas around our first 4 centres. Families earning less than this may have little or no out-of-pocket costs.}

Fee assistance

Families will pay a daily fee for long day care, and the Child Care Subsidy is available for eligible families.

Eligible families enrolled in our integrated kinder program can receive both the Child Care Subsidy and Free Kinder assistance.

Child Care Subsidy

Most families can get the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), which reduces fees based on household income. You can apply through Services Australia. Ask the Centre Director if you need help in accessing Services Australia.

The subsidy covers a percentage of your fee, depending on your household income.

• Up to $80,000 household income: 90% of fees are covered for your first child.
• $80,000 to $530,000 household income: The percentage gradually decreases as income increases.
• Families with a second child under 5: The subsidy is higher for your second child.

Additional Child Care Subsidy

The Additional Child Care Subsidy offers extra support for families receiving the CCS who meet specific criteria. For details, visit Services Australia, or ask your centre’s director.

Free Kinder

Our centres offer kinder integrated with long day care. Children enrolled in funded Three- and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten programs automatically receive Free Kinder fee assistance.

Free Kinder for integrated kinder:

• is available for up to 15 hours per week (increasing for Pre-Prep)
• reduces your fees by up to $2,101 per year (based on a 15-hour program)
• is applied as an offset to your fortnightly invoice.

Some centres offer sessional kinder programs, which run at fixed times and on set days. For sessional kinder, Free Kinder helps cover the cost of the kinder hours. CCS does not apply to sessional kinder hours.

Learn about Free Kinder