Does my child need their own CRN for CCS?

Yes. Both the parent or guardian and the child must have a CRN. The child's CRN links to their immunisation record on the Australian Immunisation Register and must match the details provided in their childcare enrolment.

How do I get a CRN for my child?

You can apply for a CRN for your newborn child via your myGov account, by calling Services Australia on 136 150, or by visiting a service centre. For a newborn, the birth is usually registered automatically through the hospital's Newborn Enrolment form, which also generates the child's CRN.

What if my child's CRN doesn't match their enrolment details?

If the details on the child's CRN (such as date of birth or name) don't match the childcare enrolment, CCS payments will be delayed or declined. Contact Services Australia on 136 150 to correct the discrepancy. Your childcare provider may also be able to assist with troubleshooting the enrolment.

What Is a CRN? Customer Reference Number Explained

Q: What is a CRN (Customer Reference Number)?

A CRN is a unique 9-digit number that Services Australia (Centrelink) uses to identify you in their system. You need a CRN for both yourself and your child to claim Child Care Subsidy. It is used to link your tax records, immunisation status, and childcare enrolments.

6 min read Updated 6 March 2026

CCS ExplainedapplyingmyGovCentrelinkenrolment

A Customer Reference Number (CRN) is the unique identifier Services Australia uses to manage your Centrelink record. You need one — and your child needs one — before CCS payments can begin. Here's what it is, how to get it, and what to do if something goes wrong.

What a CRN Is Used For

Your CRN links all of your information in the Services Australia system, including:

Your CCS claim and entitlement
Your family income details and partner's information
Your child's childcare enrolment
Attendance records reported by childcare providers
Immunisation status from the Australian Immunisation Register

Every person — including children — has their own individual CRN. You use the same CRN for all Centrelink services throughout your life; it never changes.

How to Get a CRN for Yourself

If you've never used Centrelink before, you'll need to create a Centrelink record. The standard process:

Create or sign in to a myGov account at my.gov.au
Link Centrelink to your myGov account
Complete the identity verification process online

Once your identity is confirmed, Services Australia will issue your CRN or confirm an existing one. In some cases — particularly if online identity verification can't be completed — you may need to visit a Services Australia service centre with identification documents.

If you already have a Centrelink record from a previous payment or claim, your CRN is already active. You don't get a new one for CCS — you use the same number.

How to Find Your Existing CRN

Where to look	How
myGov / Centrelink online account	Under your profile or account details
Centrelink mobile app	Shown in account settings
Letters from Services Australia	Printed on most correspondence
Previous claim documents	Any Centrelink paperwork

If you can't find it through any of these, contact Centrelink on 136 150 and they'll confirm it after verifying your identity.

Do Children Have Their Own CRN?

Yes. Each child included in a family assistance claim has their own CRN. For CCS, this is how Services Australia tracks:

The child's individual childcare enrolments
Attendance records per service
Immunisation requirements
Subsidised hours entitlement

In most cases you don't need to request a child's CRN separately. Services Australia creates one automatically when you:

Add the child to your Centrelink family record
Apply for CCS
Claim Family Tax Benefit

You'll typically need to provide the child's full name, date of birth, birth certificate details, and Medicare information. Once verified, the CRN is assigned and visible in your Centrelink account.

Newborns

For newborn children, the CRN is usually created as part of the Newborn Child Declaration process. When you register the birth and update your Medicare record, you can add the child to your Centrelink record at the same time. Services Australia will issue the child's CRN during this process.

CRNs and Childcare Enrolments

When you enrol your child at a childcare service, the provider needs both your CRN and your child's CRN to submit the enrolment to the government childcare system. This is how:

Attendance records get linked to your CCS claim
The subsidy is calculated and applied to your fees
Centrelink can confirm the enrolment for you to approve in myGov

Details must match exactly. The name spelling, date of birth, and family relationships recorded at the childcare service must match your Centrelink record. A single mismatch — a hyphenated name entered differently, a transposed birth date — can prevent the enrolment from being confirmed, which delays CCS payments.

If your provider reports a matching issue, log in to myGov and check your child's details in the Centrelink section, then ask the provider to resubmit.

Your Partner's CRN

If you're part of a couple, your partner also needs a CRN. CCS is assessed on combined family income, so Services Australia needs your partner's record to process the claim — even if your partner has no Centrelink payments of their own.

If your partner has never used Centrelink, they'll need to go through the same identity verification process and get their own CRN before your CCS claim can be fully processed.

Key Takeaways

A CRN is a permanent, unique number from Services Australia — you use the same one for all Centrelink services, for life.
You need a CRN and your child needs one before CCS can be paid.
Child CRNs are usually created automatically when you add the child to your Centrelink record or apply for CCS.
Details must match exactly between your Centrelink record and your childcare provider's records — mismatches delay enrolment confirmation.
Your partner also needs a CRN if you're in a couple, as CCS is assessed on combined income.

FAQ

I already have a Centrelink record from years ago — do I need a new CRN for CCS?

No. Your CRN is permanent. Log in to myGov, link Centrelink if it isn't already linked, and apply for CCS using your existing record. You don't need a new number.

My childcare provider is asking for my child's CRN but I can't find it — where do I look?

Log in to myGov, open Centrelink, and go to the Child Care section or your family details. Your child's CRN should be listed there. If it's not, contact Centrelink on 136 150 — they can provide it after verifying your identity.

My provider says the enrolment won't confirm because details don't match — what do I do?

Check your child's details in myGov (name spelling, date of birth) and compare them to what the provider has on file. The most common mismatches are name spelling differences and transposed birth dates. Once corrected on both sides, ask your provider to resubmit the enrolment.

My partner has never used Centrelink — do they need a CRN for our CCS claim?

Yes. Because CCS is assessed on combined family income, Services Australia needs your partner's Centrelink record. Your partner will need to create a myGov account, link Centrelink, and complete identity verification to get their CRN before your claim can be fully assessed.

Is a CRN the same as a Medicare number?

No. They're separate identifiers from different systems. Your Medicare number is used by the Department of Health for health services. Your CRN is used by Services Australia for Centrelink and family assistance payments. Both are linked behind the scenes through myGov, but they're different numbers.

Contact Services Australia on 136 150 or visit a service centre if you need help obtaining or verifying a CRN. You can also manage your details through my.gov.au.