Start Strong Funding Fee Relief

What this means for families

Children in community and mobile preschools

Fee relief will continue into 2024. Families may save up to $4,220 a year for eligible 3-5 year old children in eligible community and mobile preschools in 2024.

Children in long day care

Fee relief will continue into 2024. Families may save up to $2,110 a year for eligible children aged 4 and above and up to $500 a year for children aged 3 in eligible long day cares in 2024.

This is in addition to Australian Government Child Care Subsidy payments, which most families in long day care services are eligible to receive (the CCS does not apply to community and mobile preschools or public preschools).

How is fee relief calculated?

Community and mobile preschools

If your child attends an eligible community or mobile preschool, the fee relief will be calculated based on the number of hours your child is enrolled.

For example, if your child attends 600 hours a year (15 hours a week) or more, you will be eligible for $4,220 a year in fee relief. If your child attends fewer than 15 hours a week, the amount of fee relief will be scaled proportionately. Talk to your service for more information.

Preschool programs in long day care

If your child is enrolled at an eligible long day care, your service will spread the annual fee relief across the number of operating weeks for the calendar year and apply it as a reduction to your child’s weekly fees.

For example, if a service is open 50 weeks a year, they will pass on a reduction of:

• up to $42.20 each week for children who are at least 4 years old on, or before, 31 July 2024
• up to $10 each week for children who are 3 years old and not yet 4 years old on, or before 31 July in 2024.