A family who was told a couple of years ago that they wouldn’t get much Child Care Subsidy may never have checked again. They might be the family that drove past your centre last week and decided childcare was out of reach.
The 3 Day Guarantee changed the rules for families like that in January 2026. But they need to hear what those changes mean for them. The centres that explain it clearly, in plain words, are the ones those families will call.
What the 3 Day Guarantee actually says
The Department of Education’s 3 Day Guarantee page for providers (last updated 9 October 2026) sets out the detail. From 5 January 2026, the 3 Day Guarantee replaced the old activity test.
Every family who is eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) can now get at least 72 hours of subsidised care a fortnight. That works out to three days a week, regardless of how much they work, study or volunteer.
This matters for families who have previously decided they couldn’t afford care. Under the old activity test, the hours of subsidy a family got depended on their activity. Some families with low activity didn’t get any subsidised hours at all, and they’re the group most likely to have written childcare off.
Some families can get 100 hours of subsidised care a fortnight for each child. According to the department, any one of these situations qualifies.
- Caring for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child
- Having more than 48 hours of recognised participation, such as work or study, each fortnight
- Having an exemption or being in exceptional circumstances
- Receiving Additional Child Care Subsidy for child wellbeing, temporary financial hardship or grandparents
There are a few things the guarantee doesn’t change, and families need to hear these too. They still pay a gap fee, except in some circumstances. Their CCS percentage is still worked out from family income, the type of care and the hourly rate cap, using the same rules as before.
The guarantee also doesn’t guarantee a place. Families still need to secure a spot at the centre they choose, so that’s part of the conversation too.
Why the message should come from your centre
Families hear about subsidy changes in pieces, from a news story, a friend or a post in a local parents’ group. When they have questions, the people they actually ask are the director at the front desk and the educator at pick-up.
That’s where your team comes in. If they can explain the 3 Day Guarantee simply and point families to the right place to check, your centre becomes the one that made it easy.
It’s also worth talking to families already on your books. Families who already get CCS don’t need to do anything, because Services Australia applies the 72 hours automatically, as its January 2026 update explains.
Some of those families may be able to add a day or move to more hours. A short conversation could be all it takes for them to look at it.
For families who have never claimed CCS, there’s a different step to explain. They need to make a CCS claim with Services Australia before the guaranteed hours apply. That’s a step plenty of people put off, so it’s worth spelling out what they need to do.
What to say, and what to leave to Services Australia
The safest approach is to explain the rule, then send families to the official source for their own numbers. Your team shouldn’t tell a family what subsidy they’ll get. That depends on income and circumstances your centre can’t see, which is why those individual questions belong with Services Australia.
Here’s a simple way to say it at the front desk or on the phone.
- “Since January, every family who’s eligible for the Child Care Subsidy can get at least three days a week of subsidised care, even if you’re not working or studying.”
- “Some families can get more, and Services Australia can tell you whether that applies to you.”
- “You’ll still pay a gap fee, and the amount depends on your family income.”
- “If you’d like a rough idea of your out-of-pocket cost, the calculator on StartingBlocks takes about two minutes.”
The Child Care Subsidy calculator on StartingBlocks asks for the family’s annual income and your daily rate. Have your daily fee ready so you can give it to families who ask.
Use the government’s own materials
You don’t need to write all of this from scratch. The Department of Education publishes a 3 Day Guarantee communication toolkit (last updated 1 September 2026).
It includes social media tiles, an A4 and A3 poster, newsletter text and resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families developed with SNAICC. The department asks that you don’t alter the supplied images. Use them as they are, then add your own centre’s message around them.
Using the official wording has a second benefit. When the information on your website, your noticeboard and your social posts matches the government’s, families can see you’re not overselling.
Where to put it so families see it
Once the message is clear, put it where families already look.
- Add a short section to your website’s fees or enrolment page that explains the 3 Day Guarantee in two or three sentences and links to Services Australia. A family comparing centres late at night is reading your website, and your noticeboard can’t reach them there.
- Publish a post about the change on your Google Business Profile to give families who find you on Maps a reason to click through. Our childcare local SEO guide covers how to keep that profile working for you.
- Share one of the department’s tiles on social media with a sentence or two in your own voice, and pin it for a few weeks. There’s more on what works in our guide to social media marketing for childcare centres.
- Use the same short script for tours and enquiry calls, and give it to everyone who answers the phone. That way, the message doesn’t change depending on who picks up.
- Let your current families know they might be able to add a day. A newsletter item or a note at pick-up gives families already enrolled that information.
Check how your sessions line up with 72 hours
The guarantee is counted in hours a fortnight, while most centres bill in daily sessions. That difference matters when you’re explaining it to families.
Before you tell families “three days”, check how your session lengths sit against 72 hours a fortnight. The promise on your website needs to match what a family will actually see on their statement.
If you’re unsure how it applies to your sessions, the CCS Provider Helpdesk on 1300 667 276 can help. It’s always worth checking the detail with them or your own adviser before you publish anything about subsidy.
This week
- Read the department’s 3 Day Guarantee page and the toolkit, and download the tiles and poster.
- Write a short, plain script your whole team can use on the phone and at tours.
- Add a short 3 Day Guarantee section to your fees or enrolment page, linking to Services Australia and the StartingBlocks calculator.
- Post one department tile on your social channels and your Google Business Profile.
- Send a short note to current families who might want to add a day.
The weeks between November and February are when many families sort out care for the new year, so this is a good time to get the message out. If you’d like to get your enrolment message clear for the new year, we’re happy to have a chat about where to start.
