Fee Relief
Strong Start Program
Fee relief is available for children aged 3-5 years old through the 2026 Start Strong for Long Day Care program to families to deliver affordable, quality preschool education to children. Fee relief is paid to the service you nominate and passed on to you as a reduction to your fees after the Child Care Subsidy.
You may still need to pay any remaining fees and/or levies after the fee relief has been applied.
The 2026 Start Strong for Long Day Care program operates on a calendar year from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026.
How is my fee relief calculated?
In 2026, fee relief is increasing for families who need it the most. Fee relief funding at eligible long day care services reduces fees by up to $2,563 per year for children aged 4 and above and up to $769 per year for children aged 3.
Get your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) estimate using the online CCS Calculator below:
Online CCS CalculatorIn 2026, there will be two categories of fee relief:
Children eligible for the maximum fee relief rate can receive up to:
- $2,563 per year for children aged 4 and above
- $769 per year for children aged 3 years old.
All other children can receive up to:
- $1,783 per year for children aged 4 and above
- $423 per year for children aged 3 years old.
Fee relief is paid to the service you nominate and passed on to you as a reduction to your fees. This is in addition to Australian Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments, which most families in long day care services are eligible to receive.
The CCS payment does not apply to families with children enrolled in community and mobile preschools or public preschools.
A child is eligible for maximum funding if one of the following criteria is met:
1. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children, or
2. Children enrolled in a service:
- in a regional or remote area, or
- in an area of greater socio-economic disadvantage, or
- operated by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation.
For example, if a service is open 52 weeks a year, they will pass on a fee relief reduction after the application of the Child Care Subsidy of:
- up to $49.29 per week for children eligible for maximum funding who are at least 4 years old on, or before, 31 July 2026
- up to $34.28 per week for all other children who are at least 4 years old on, or before, 31 July 2026
- up to $14.78 per week for children eligible for maximum funding who are 3 years old on, or before, 31 July 2026
- up to $8.13 per week for all other children who are
3 years old on, or before 31 July 2026.
Get your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) estimate using the online CCS Calculator below:
For more information on
Strong Start for Families,
visit the NSW Government website
