Child Care Subsidy questions to ask Canberra centres

Ask for the daily fee, session hours, inclusions, enrolment fees, bond or deposit rules, late fees and public holiday billing policy.

Then ask how the centre expects families to confirm enrolment for Child Care Subsidy purposes and what information appears in the enrolment notice.

Some providers offer session options; others charge one daily fee. Ask whether shorter sessions exist and whether they affect your out-of-pocket estimate.

Ask how absences are billed, how many absences families should understand, and who to contact if subsidy details look wrong after enrolment.

A childcare centre can explain its fees, session hours, provider details and enrolment process. It cannot make the final Child Care Subsidy decision for your family.

Ask what information will appear in your enrolment confirmation, when you need to approve enrolment in myGov, and who at the centre can help if the subsidy estimate does not appear as expected.

Ask whether the centre offers shorter sessions, how public holidays are billed, how absences work, whether additional fees apply and whether fees vary by room or age group.

If two centres have similar out-of-pocket estimates, compare value signals: educator communication, inclusions, opening hours, commute, review patterns and waitlist transparency.