Quality early education, made more affordable
Between the Child Care Subsidy and Queensland Kindy funding, most families at The Learning Garden pay significantly less than the headline fee. Here's how both work — and how to find out exactly what you'd pay.
Fees & Child Care Subsidy
Childcare Subsidy (CCS) — what it is and what you're likely entitled to
The Childcare Subsidy (CCS) is a federal government payment that reduces the cost of approved childcare for eligible families. It's paid directly to the centre and applied to your fees — you only pay the gap.
Two factors determine your CCS percentage: your household income and your combined hours of recognised activity (work, study, training, volunteering). The higher your activity hours, the more subsidised hours you're entitled to.
Income tested
Higher income = lower subsidy percentage. But even families on higher incomes may still receive a meaningful subsidy. The threshold is higher than most people assume.
Activity tested
The more hours you work, study or volunteer, the more subsidised hours you're entitled to — up to 100 hours per fortnight per child.
The easiest way to get an accurate figure is to use the Services Australia CCS estimator. It takes about five minutes and gives you a realistic number based on your actual circumstances.
Queensland Kindy funding — up to 3 days free for eligible 4 year olds
Our Karang Studio runs an approved kindergarten program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher. This means families enrolled in Karang are eligible for Queensland Kindy funding, which subsidises up to 15 hours of kindy per week — roughly equivalent to 3 days.
For many families, this means kindy at The Learning Garden costs little to nothing out of pocket — particularly when combined with CCS.
Who is eligible
Children who will be 4 years old by 30 June of the kindy year, enrolled in an approved kindy program. Most families qualify — there is no income test for the base kindy funding.
How it's applied
Funding is applied directly to your fees, you don't need to claim it separately. Our admin team handles the process and will walk you through it at enrolment.
Getting your subsidy sorted
Create a myGov account and link Centrelink
If you haven't already, you'll need a myGov account with Centrelink linked. This is where your CCS entitlement is assessed and managed.
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Confirm your CCS with Services Australia
Once enrolled, notify Services Australia that your child is attending The Learning Garden. Your subsidy is then applied automatically to your weekly fees.
Contact us directly for the most up-to-date fee schedule.
Not sure what you'd pay? Let's work it out together. Our team is happy to walk through fees and funding with you — no obligation, no jargon.