How many absence days does CCS cover per year?

CCS covers up to 42 initial absence days per child per financial year, per enrolment. These absences are subsidised regardless of the reason — no documentation is needed. Once the 42-day limit is reached, further absences require a permissible reason with evidence to remain subsidised.

What counts as a CCS absence?

An absence is any day that is: billed by the childcare centre, within the child's normal booking pattern, and the child did not attend. Public holidays and days where the centre is closed do not count as absences — they are not billed.

What happens after the 42 initial absence days are used?

After 42 initial absences, any additional absence must have a permissible reason such as illness (with a medical certificate), a public event, or another approved reason. Without evidence, the day will not be subsidised and the full fee is owed.

What are the first and last attendance rules?

CCS is not payable for absence days before the child's first physical attendance, or after the last physical attendance at a centre. These rules prevent families from being subsidised for periods when the child was never actually attending care.

CCS Absence Rules: How Childcare Absences Affect Your Subsidy

6 min read Updated 6 March 2026

CCS Explainedabsencesfeesenrolment

CCS can still be paid when your child doesn't attend childcare — but only up to a point. Each child gets 42 allowable absence days per financial year where the subsidy continues without question. Once that limit is reached, the rules tighten. Here's how it all works.

The 42-Day Allowance

Each child is entitled to 42 allowable absence days per financial year (1 July – 30 June) where CCS applies even if they don't attend.

These days can be used for any reason:

Illness
Family holidays
Personal commitments
Occasional missed days

No evidence is required for the first 42 days. Your provider charges the fee, you report the absence, and CCS applies as normal.

Absence days are counted per child — if you have two children in care, each gets their own 42-day allowance.

After 42 Days: Approved Reasons Only

Once a child has used their 42 allowable absence days, additional absences are only subsidised for specific approved reasons:

Reason	Evidence likely needed?
Illness or medical appointment	Yes — medical certificate
Infectious disease exclusion	Yes
Local emergency or public health order	Depends on circumstances
Court-ordered arrangements	Yes
Childcare service closure	No — provider records it
Child starting school	Documentation may be required

If an absence falls outside these categories after the 42-day limit, the full fee is charged without CCS applying. Your provider should be able to tell you how an absence will be classified before it's recorded.

The First Attendance Rule

CCS cannot be paid for absences before a child's first attendance at a service.

If your child is enrolled but hasn't attended a single session yet, any missed bookings in that period are not subsidised. CCS only becomes available once the child physically attends their first session.

This catches families off guard when:

A child is booked in from a certain date but illness delays the first day
Enrolment is set up early but care doesn't start for several weeks

The fix: don't book sessions until your child is ready to start, or ensure the first session happens as early as possible.

The Last Attendance Rule

Similarly, CCS cannot be paid for absences after a child's final day of attendance at a service.

If a child stops coming but remains enrolled on paper, those trailing absence days won't be subsidised. This often trips up families who:

Informally stop attending but haven't formally unenrolled
Are in the process of switching providers with a gap between services
Take an extended break without realising their CCS has effectively stopped

If your child won't be attending for a while, check the 26-week cessation rule — a prolonged gap can also cancel your CCS enrolment entirely.

Public Holidays and Centre Closures

These are treated differently from regular absences:

Centre closed (for any reason, including public holidays): typically not counted as an absence — the provider doesn't charge a fee, so CCS doesn't apply either
Child absent from a booked session (even on a public holiday that the centre observes as a normal day): counts as an absence and uses one of the 42 days

Your provider records absences in the government system — ask them how they handle public holidays and closure days if you're unsure.

Why This Matters for Your Budget

Many families assume they only pay for days their child actually attends. In practice:

Most providers charge the full fee whether or not your child comes
CCS applies to those charged fees during the 42-day allowance
After the allowance runs out, you're paying the full fee without any subsidy offset

If your child is frequently absent (illness, irregular schedule, holiday periods), 42 days can go faster than expected — particularly in the second half of the financial year.

Key Takeaways

Each child gets 42 allowable absence days per year — no evidence needed, any reason accepted.
After 42 days, CCS only continues for approved reasons (illness, closures, emergencies, etc.) with supporting evidence.
CCS cannot start before the first attendance — absences before a child's first session are not subsidised.
CCS stops after the last attendance — don't let informal gaps accumulate while still enrolled.
Absence limits apply per child — multiple children each have their own 42-day allowance.

FAQ

Does the 42-day limit reset each financial year?

Yes. The 42 allowable absence days reset on 1 July each financial year. Any unused days from the previous year don't carry over.

What if my child is sick more than 42 days in a year?

Once the 42 allowable days are used, illness can still qualify for additional subsidised absences — but you'll need supporting evidence such as a medical certificate. Your childcare provider can help you understand what documentation is required and how to record the absence correctly.

My child hasn't started yet but is enrolled — can I use absence days?

No. CCS cannot be paid for absences before the first attendance. Sessions missed before your child's first physical attendance are not subsidised. CCS only activates once the child attends their first session at the service.

What happens if I take an extended holiday and my child misses more than 42 days?

If the holiday pushes you past 42 days, subsequent absence days won't be subsidised unless they fall into an approved category. If the total gap reaches 26 weeks with no attendance reported, your CCS enrolment may also be automatically cancelled — see the 26-week cessation rule.

Do absence days count if my provider waives the fee?

If your provider doesn't charge a fee for the session, CCS isn't paid — and the day doesn't count as a subsidised absence. Absence days only apply when a fee is actually charged for the missed session.

Absence rules apply under the Family Assistance Law for the current financial year. Rules can change — contact Services Australia on 136 150 or visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-care-subsidy if you have questions about a specific situation.