Additional Child Care Subsidy Grandparent

What ACCS Grandparent Actually Covers

The Additional Child Care Subsidy — Grandparent stream is a Centrelink payment that can cover up to 100% of approved childcare fees, up to the hourly fee cap set by the government. It sits on top of (or replaces) the standard Child Care Subsidy and is specifically designed for grandparent carers whose household meets the income-support and principal-carer requirements.

Where the standard CCS might cover 60% or 85% of fees depending on your income, ACCS Grandparent closes the remaining gap — meaning you may pay nothing out of pocket for approved childcare.

Who Qualifies

You need to meet three conditions:

1. You are a grandparent — or a great-grandparent — of the child (biological or through a recognised family relationship)
2. You or your partner receive an income support payment — Age Pension, Carer Payment, JobSeeker, Disability Support Pension or Parenting Payment
3. You are the principal carer — you have at least 65% ongoing care and make day-to-day decisions about the child's care, welfare and development

You do not need a court order or formal custody arrangement. Informal grandparent carers who meet the income support and principal carer tests qualify.

The subsidy applies to approved childcare services — long day care, family day care, outside school hours care and in-home care. It does not apply to informal babysitting arrangements, nannies hired privately, or care provided by another family member.

How It Works With Standard CCS

If you are already receiving the standard Child Care Subsidy, ask Services Australia how ACCS Grandparent will be applied to your claim. The ACCS Grandparent stream can cover up to 100% of approved childcare fees, up to the applicable cap.

The hourly fee cap varies by care type. If your childcare provider charges above the cap, you pay the difference. Most community-based and council-run centres in NSW charge at or below the cap; some private centres charge above it.

ACCS Grandparent provides up to 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. If you need more than 100 hours (for example, if you work full-time or have multiple children in care), additional hours are covered under standard CCS activity test rules.

How to Apply

To apply, use your Centrelink online account through myGov. If you already get CCS, go to My Family > Child care > Additional Child Care Subsidy (grandparent) and follow the prompts. If you do not yet get CCS, submit a CCS claim; Services Australia asks ACCS Grandparent eligibility questions in that claim.

If you have not yet registered as a non-parent carer with Centrelink, call 1800 245 965 (Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser line, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm) and ask the adviser to record your status. Then follow the online application steps above.

Your childcare provider also needs to confirm your child's enrolment through the Child Care Subsidy System (CCSS). If the provider cannot find your child in the system, ask the provider and Services Australia to check the enrolment record and the status of your CCS claim.

Common Problems

Centrelink does not recognise you as the principal carer. If the biological parent is still listed as the primary carer on Centrelink's records, your ACCS claim may be rejected. Call the adviser line to resolve competing carer records before applying.

Your income support payment lapses. ACCS Grandparent is tied to receiving an income support payment. If your Age Pension or Carer Payment is suspended for any reason (income test breach, overseas travel, missed reporting), the ACCS Grandparent rate drops to the standard CCS rate until your income support is restored.

The child turns school age. ACCS Grandparent continues for outside school hours care and vacation care, not just early childhood services. If your grandchild starts school, update your CCS details to reflect the change in care type.

The NSW Kinship Carer Support guide walks through the full sequence — from registering as a non-parent carer to lodging the CCS claim with ACCS Grandparent included — with a checklist of every document Centrelink will need.

See more New South Wales guides →