Childcare Fees and What You Actually Pay
Our childcare fees are $170 for a full day, from 7:00am to 6:00pm, and that one price covers five meals, nappies, wipes, sunscreen and every extracurricular program. Most families pay far less than that once the Child Care Subsidy is applied. On this page you can see exactly how the subsidy works, worked examples at different family incomes, and an estimator that shows your own daily gap in under a minute.
This page is for families working out whether long day care at Lead fits the budget. It sets out the daily fee, what it covers, how the Child Care Subsidy is calculated from your income and the government's hourly cap, what families at five income levels pay per day, how billing and absences work, and how our fee sits against other St Ives centres. Every figure is sourced, and dated where it can change.
For the rooms, programs and everything else about the centre, start at our St Ives childcare and preschool home page.
Our daily fee and what it includes
Our daily fee is $170 for a full-day session from 7:00am to 6:00pm, the same across every room from Nursery to Preschool. It includes all meals and snacks, nappies and wipes, sunscreen, the School Readiness Program and extracurricular sessions, so the number on your statement is the whole cost of the day.
That $170 is the fee before any subsidy. It is also the figure we report on StartingBlocks.gov.au, the national register where families can compare childcare fees for approved services.
One flat rate keeps things simple. You do not pay more for the baby room, for a later pick-up or for a day that includes a cooking or yoga session.
A full-day session also means you are not charged extra for early drop-off or late pick-up within opening hours. Whether you arrive at 7:00am or 9:30am, the fee is the same, which makes it easier to plan around work.
There are no enrolment extras for activities. Programs like Reading Eggs and Prep School workbooks in Preschool are part of the fee too.
The only things you bring from home are practical ones for your own child: bedding for rest, a drink bottle and hat, spare clothes, any comfort item and, for babies, formula.
Why one rate for every age? Babies need more educators per child, so many centres charge more for the nursery. We keep a single fee so families are not penalised for starting young, and so siblings in different rooms pay the same.
Fees can change over time, and we notify families in writing and through the parent app before any change takes effect. The full breakdown of inclusions is on our page about what your daily fee includes.
Your $170 day
- Hours
- 7:00am to 6:00pm
- Meals
- Breakfast to late snack, 5 a day
- Care items
- Nappies, wipes, sunscreen
- Programs
- Sport, yoga, cooking, languages
- Before CCS
- Same rate for every room
Fee as listed on StartingBlocks.gov.au, September 2026.
One price, whole dayFive meals, nappies, wipes and sunscreen at no extra cost
Five meals a day, nappies, wipes and sunscreen are all part of the $170 daily fee, with nothing added to your statement for them. That matters when you compare centres, because a lower daily fee can end up costing more once you add nappies, packed lunches and paid activities.
Five meals and snacks
Breakfast for early arrivals, morning tea, a cooked lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack. We are a Nut Aware service with individual allergy plans.
Nappies and wipes
Supplied for every child in nappies, including toddlers who are part way through toilet learning.
Sunscreen
Applied by educators before outdoor play, so you do not need to send a bottle in each day.
Extracurricular programs
Sport, yoga, cooking and languages, plus STEM, sustainability and school readiness, with no term fees.
Inclusions do not change your subsidy. The Child Care Subsidy is calculated on the fee we charge, so meals and nappies bundled into the day are subsidised at your rate, while items bought separately at home are not. That is another quiet saving.
Here is a simple way to compare. Take another centre's daily fee, add what you would spend each day on nappies, wipes, packed food and any paid activity, and set that total beside our $170. That is the like-for-like figure.
Inclusions also save time. With no lunches to pack and no nappy bag to restock, mornings are simpler, especially with two children in care.
Meals are cooked on site, and menus are planned to meet children's nutrition needs across the day. Children with allergies, intolerances or cultural and religious food needs have their requirements recorded, and educators trained in anaphylaxis management are on every shift.
To see what the whole day costs you after the subsidy, use our childcare cost estimator, or try the quick version further down this page.
How Child Care Subsidy reduces your fee
Services Australia sends your Child Care Subsidy directly to the centre, where it comes off your fee before billing, leaving you to cover only the gap. Your subsidy is a percentage, set by family income, applied to the hourly fee or the government's hourly rate cap, whichever is lower. Families earning up to $88,520 receive 90%.
Above $88,520, the percentage falls by 1% for every $5,000 of family income, reaching zero at $538,520. A family earning $130,000, for example, receives 81.70%.
The hourly rate cap for long day care is $15.19 for children below school age. Our $170 day over an 11-hour session works out to $15.45 an hour, so the subsidy is calculated on $15.19 an hour, or $167.09 a day.
Your percentage is worked out on your family's combined adjusted taxable income for the financial year, which you estimate when you apply. It is not affected by which centre you choose, only by your income and circumstances.
From 5 January 2026, every eligible family can receive at least 72 hours of subsidised care a fortnight, which covers three full days a week. More hours are available depending on work, study or other recognised activity.
Families with more than one child aged 5 or under in care may receive a higher rate, up to 95%, for younger children.
Services Australia withholds 5% of your subsidy each fortnight by default, then balances it after tax time. Our guide to how Child Care Subsidy works explains each step, and how to apply is covered in applying for CCS.
The CCS numbers, 2026
- Up to $88,520
- 90% subsidy
- Above that
- 1% less per $5,000
- $538,520 or more
- 0%
- Hourly cap
- $15.19, long day care
- Minimum hours
- 72 a fortnight
Source: Services Australia, September 2026.
Paid straight to usWorked examples by family income
For a family with one child in care, the gap on a $170 day ranges from about $20 at the 90% subsidy rate to about $86 at 50%. The table shows five family incomes, the subsidy percentage each receives, and what one day and a three-day week cost after the subsidy.
| Family income | CCS rate | Subsidy per day | You pay per day | 3 days a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $88,520 | 90% | $150.38 | $19.62 | $58.86 |
| $138,520 | 80% | $133.67 | $36.33 | $108.99 |
| $188,520 | 70% | $116.96 | $53.04 | $159.12 |
| $238,520 | 60% | $100.25 | $69.75 | $209.25 |
| $288,520 | 50% | $83.55 | $86.45 | $259.35 |
Across a 48-week year, the difference between the 90% and 50% rows is roughly $9,600 for three days a week, which shows how much family income shapes the real cost of care.
How the numbers work: the subsidy is your CCS rate multiplied by the $15.19 hourly cap across an 11-hour session, which is $167.09. The gap is $170 minus that subsidy. The small difference between our hourly rate and the cap is why even a 90% family pays a little more than 10% of the fee.
Two things change the real amount you see. The default 5% withholding lowers each fortnight's subsidy a little, with the balance returned after the end of the financial year if your income estimate was right. A higher rate for a second child aged 5 or under lowers the gap for that child.
A second example shows the sibling effect. A family earning $138,520 with two children aged 5 or under in care receives 80% for the older child and a higher rate of 95% for the younger. The older child's day costs $36.33 after subsidy, the younger child's $11.26, so two children cost $47.59 a day together, not $72.66.
Incomes in the table are chosen so the percentages come out as round numbers. Your own figure will sit somewhere between them, and the estimator below does the exact sum.
Estimate your fee in 60 seconds
Enter your family income and how many days a week you need, and the estimator shows your subsidy rate, what the government pays and what you pay per day and per week. It uses the same rules as the table above and the current 2026 subsidy figures.
Combined adjusted taxable income for you and your partner.
Three days fits within the 72 subsidised hours every family receives. More days depend on your activity hours.
You pay per day
$0.00
- Your CCS rate
- 0%
- Subsidy per day
- $0.00
- You pay per week
- $0.00
An estimate for one child, before the 5% withholding and any higher rate for younger siblings. Your final amount is set by Services Australia.
Try changing the income to see how the subsidy steps down. Between $88,520 and $538,520, each extra $5,000 of family income reduces the subsidy by one percentage point, which on a $170 day is about $1.67 more per day that you pay.
If you would rather talk it through, our team can run the figures with you, including second-child rates and your exact activity hours. The full cost estimator page also explains every input, or call (02) 7238 8668.
The estimate assumes you have enough subsidised hours for the days you choose. Every eligible family receives at least 72 hours a fortnight, which covers three 11-hour days a week. Depending on your recognised activity, such as paid work, study or volunteering, you can receive 100 hours a fortnight, enough for more days; Services Australia confirms your entitlement.
Need fewer days, or a mix of regular and extra days? Our guide to casual and part-time days explains the options.
Billing, absences and public holidays
Fees are charged fortnightly in advance. You receive a statement every second Monday, and the gap is processed that same Monday. Booked days are charged whether or not your child attends, and the Child Care Subsidy continues to cover up to 42 absence days in each financial year, public holidays on your booked days included.
Gap fees must be paid electronically, a national rule since 1 July 2023. We set this up with you at enrolment.
When your child is sick, message us in KinderM8 or phone before 10:30am. Sick days count toward your 42 absence days.
Beyond 42 days, absences can still attract the subsidy in some situations, such as illness with a medical certificate. Services Australia sets these rules.
The centre closes on public holidays. Because booked days are held for your child, a public holiday on one of your regular days is treated like any other absence.
Changing your regular days is done through our team, subject to availability in your child's room. Adding days may change your fortnightly bill and your subsidised hours, so we check both with you first.
Need an extra day? Request it in KinderM8, which shows live availability. Questions about your account go to our accounts officer or the Approved Provider.
At the end of each financial year, Services Australia balances your subsidy against your actual family income once your tax return is lodged. If your income estimate was too low you may owe some back, and if it was too high the difference, including the 5% withheld, is paid to you. Updating your estimate in myGov during the year keeps this small.
The CCS cannot be claimed for more hours than you are eligible for, so check your fortnightly hours before adding regular extra days.
Billing at a glance
- Cycle
- Fortnightly, in advance
- Statement
- Every second Monday
- Payment
- Electronic only
- Absences
- Charged, CCS for 42 days
- Sick notice
- By 10:30am
No surprisesHow our fees compare on the Upper North Shore
Our $170 daily fee sits in the middle of the St Ives range. On StartingBlocks.gov.au in September 2026, eight other long day care centres in St Ives listed full-day fees from $135 to $216, with most between $155 and $181. What each fee includes varies widely, so the headline number is only part of the comparison.
Within St Ives, the spread mostly comes down to what the fee covers, how long the session runs and how each centre staffs its rooms, rather than big differences in what the day offers children.
Ask every centre the same questions: are meals, nappies and sunscreen included, how long is the session, and are activities extra?
Session length changes the subsidy. A shorter session at a similar price means a higher hourly fee, and more of it may sit above the $15.19 cap.
Quality is on the same register. Lead holds an Exceeding rating against the National Quality Standard, issued in May 2026, and you can check any centre's rating the same way.
The register also shows the detail behind each rating. Our assessment rated us Exceeding in four of the seven quality areas: children's health and safety, the physical environment, partnerships with families and communities, and governance and leadership. It also lists no conditions and no enforcement actions in the past two years, which is worth checking for any centre on your list.
Families who qualify may also receive NSW fee relief in the preschool years. Our guide to Start Strong funding in NSW explains the 2026 amounts.
A tour is the best way to weigh value, because you see the rooms, meals and staffing that the fee pays for.
When you are ready, our enrolment guide walks through the next steps, from tour to first day.
St Ives full-day fees, Sept 2026
- Lowest listed
- $135
- Most centres
- $155 to $181
- Highest listed
- $216
- Lead
- $170, inclusions as above
From fees listed on StartingBlocks.gov.au, 24 September 2026. Before subsidy.
Compare like with likeFees, answered
What is the daily fee?+
Our daily fee is $170 for a full-day session from 7:00am to 6:00pm, the same for every room. It includes five meals, nappies, wipes, sunscreen and all extracurricular programs. Most families pay much less after the Child Care Subsidy, which is taken off your fee before you are billed.
Are nappies and meals included?+
Yes, nappies, wipes, sunscreen and five meals a day are all included in the daily fee. From home you send just a named drink bottle, sun hat, rest-time bedding, spare clothes, a comfort item and formula for babies who need it. There are no extra charges for activities either.
How much will I pay after CCS?+
At the 90% subsidy rate, you pay about $19.62 for a $170 day, before withholding. A family earning $188,520 receives 70% and pays about $53.04 a day. Use the estimator on this page for your exact income, or ask our team to run the figures for you.
Do I pay for public holidays?+
Yes, a public holiday that falls on one of your booked days is charged, because your child's place is held for you. The centre is closed that day, and the Child Care Subsidy still applies, counting as one of your 42 allowable absence days for the financial year.
Do I pay when my child is absent?+
Yes, booked days are charged when your child is away, as the place is reserved for them. The subsidy continues for up to 42 absence days each financial year, including public holidays. Please tell us by 10:30am if your child is unwell, through the parent app or by phone.
Get your exact figure from our team
Tell us your days and we will work through the subsidy with you on a tour or by phone.