OSHC (Outside School Hours Care) costs vary depending on your provider, your state, and how much Child Care Subsidy (CCS) your family is eligible for. In this article, you can find out how much before school care, after school care and vacation care typically cost in Australia, and how much CCS can bring that down.
Table of contents
- At a glance
- How much does OSHC cost?
- How the Child Care Subsidy reduces your bill
- What do families pay after CCS?
- Vacation care costs
- Be mindful of extra costs
- FAQs
At a glance
- OSHC isn’t fee-regulated: providers set their own rates, so prices vary by service, not just by state.
- Sessions typically cost $17.50 to $35: before or after school care, before any subsidy.
- CCS applies to OSHC: the same subsidy families use for long day care also covers before school care, after school care and vacation care.
- CCS is capped hourly: the subsidy only applies up to a set hourly rate — anything a provider charges above that cap comes out of your own pocket.
- Vacation care costs more per day: it’s billed as a full day rather than a session, so daily rates run higher than term-time care.
How much does OSHC cost?
| Care type | Typical fee (before subsidy) |
|---|---|
| Before school care | $17.50 – $30 per session |
| After school care | $20 – $35 per session |
| Vacation care | $70 – $100+ per day |
Typical session and daily fees for OSHC in Australia, 2026.
For a child attending both sessions, five days a week, term time, that’s $175–$350 a week in gross fees before CCS.
How much is before school care?
Before school care generally costs $17.50 to $30 a session, usually covering an hour or two of supervised care ahead of the school day.
How much is after school care?
After school care generally costs $20 to $35 a session, covering the period between the end of school and pick-up.
How much is vacation care?
Vacation care is billed by the day rather than the session, and typically costs $70 to $100 or more, depending on whether the day includes an excursion. One NSW school-based service, for example, charges $23 for a before school session, $40 for after school, and $83 for a full vacation care day from July 2026 — in line with the ranges above.
How the Child Care Subsidy reduces your bill
CCS applies to OSHC the same way it applies to long day care. A lot of parents assume support stops once their child starts primary school — it doesn’t. Before school care, after school care and vacation care are all CCS-eligible.
What you pay comes down to three things: your subsidy percentage, based on combined family income; the hourly rate cap, the maximum hourly fee CCS will subsidise for OSHC; and your subsidised hours, how many hours per fortnight CCS covers.
CCS income thresholds
| Combined family income | Approx. subsidy rate |
|---|---|
| Up to ~$88,500 | 90% (maximum rate) |
| ~$120,000 | ~84% |
| ~$180,000 | ~72% |
| ~$538,500+ | 0% |
The subsidy rate steps down by about 1% for every $5,000 of income above the lower threshold. Thresholds and the hourly rate cap are indexed every financial year, so check your current rate with Services Australia.
The hourly rate cap
CCS is only paid up to a set hourly cap for OSHC, lower than the cap for long day care. If a provider’s fee is above the cap, CCS is calculated on the cap, not the full fee, and you cover the gap yourself.
The 3-Day Guarantee
Since 5 January 2026, all CCS-eligible families get at least 72 subsidised hours per fortnight, regardless of work or study hours, with some families eligible for up to 100 hours. This matters most for vacation care, which uses full-day hours much faster than term-time sessions.
What do families pay after CCS?
Based on 25 hours a week — about 1.5 hours before school and 3.5 hours after, five days a week — charged at the OSHC hourly rate cap.
| Household income | CCS rate | Weekly fee | Weekly out-of-pocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under ~$88,500 | 90% | ~$330 | ~$33 |
| ~$120,000 | ~84% | ~$330 | ~$53 |
| ~$180,000 | ~72% | ~$330 | ~$93 |
A family on the maximum CCS rate pays around $33 a week for 25 hours of OSHC. A family on $120,000 pays around $53 a week for the same hours, and a family on $180,000 pays around $93. Use the Child Care Subsidy estimator on the Services Australia website for your exact figure.
Vacation care costs
Vacation care is billed per day rather than per session, so daily rates run higher than a term-time slot — typically $70 to $100 or more, more again on excursion days. It also uses your fortnightly CCS hours faster, since a full day uses far more hours than before and after school combined.
Check school holiday dates by state and browse school holiday activities when planning vacation care, as spots at popular providers fill up around the start and end of each term.
Be mindful of extra costs
Some providers charge extra for enrolment, food, or excursion days on top of standard session fees, and casual bookings are usually priced higher than a locked-in weekly booking. Check with your provider what’s included before comparing prices between services.
FAQs
Is before and after school care covered by the Child Care Subsidy?
Yes. OSHC — before school care, after school care and vacation care — is CCS-eligible in the same way long day care is, as long as it’s run by an approved provider.
How much of my OSHC fees will CCS cover?
Families on lower incomes can get up to 90% of fees covered, tapering down to 0% at the top income threshold, currently just over $538,000.
Does CCS still apply once my child starts school?
Yes. CCS applies to any child under 14, or under 18 with disability, who isn’t yet in secondary school, which covers primary-aged OSHC.
Why did my CCS payments stop for OSHC?
Usually a lapsed enrolment after a long gap in attendance, commonly 14 weeks. Ask your provider to resubmit the enrolment, then confirm it yourself via myGov.
Is vacation care more expensive than term-time OSHC?
Yes. It’s billed per full day instead of per session, so the daily rate is higher, and it uses your fortnightly CCS hours faster.
References
- Services Australia — Child Care Subsidy for vacation care and OSHC
- Services Australia — How the type of child care you use affects CCS
- Department of Education, Australian Government — Child Care Subsidy
- Department of Education, Australian Government — CCS hourly rate caps
- Productivity Commission — Report on Government Services 2026, Early Childhood Education and Care
- CareforKids.com.au — The cost of OOSH: comparing prices
General information current as at July 2026, not personal financial advice. CCS rates and hourly caps are indexed each financial year — confirm your current entitlement at servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-care-subsidy or on 13 61 50.