the 42 childcare absence days: how CCS covers sick days and holidays

the basics: 42 days, one balance

each child gets 42 allowable absence days per financial year. the balance is per child, not per family, and it's shared across every approved provider they attend. if your child is at a long day care three days a week and OSHC two afternoons, absences on any of those sessions all come out of the same 42.

a few key mechanics:

• resets 1 July:unused days don't roll over to the next year
• per booked session: one absence day is one session that was scheduled and not attended, not 24 hours
• full CCS applies: you pay the same gap fee as if the child attended
• counts at any provider:there's no separate balance for centre, OSHC, or FDC — it's one pool

what counts as an absence

the rule is simple: any day your child was booked to attend and didn't. the reason doesn't matter for the first 42 days, which is a relief because toddlers pick up colds like it's a hobby.

public holidays are an important exception. if your centre is closed on Anzac Day but still charges the session (most do), CCS applies as if the child attended. it doesn't come out of the 42 day balance.

the last week before cessationrule is the one that catches families leaving a centre. if your child stops attending and their last booked session is an absence day, it won't attract CCS — you need an actual attended session in that last week for the subsidy to keep flowing on absences in the same week.

additional absences after 42

once you've burned through 42, CCS stops automatically applying to absences. you pay the full unsubsidised fee for any further missed days unless the absence qualifies as an additional absence. these are unlimited but need supporting evidence.

reasons that qualify for additional absences:

• illness with a medical certificate: for the child, a sibling, or the person who usually takes them to care
• temporary closure of the provider: a burst pipe, a staffing emergency
• local emergency: bushfires, floods, heat events where authorities recommend staying home
• court order or shared custody arrangement: where the child is with another parent on a booked day
• attendance at pre-school: for days the child is at a registered preschool program instead
• periods of local emergency: declared by state or federal government

the critical bit: your provider has to record the additional absence reason in the CCS system and keep the documentation (usually a medical certificate). if they don't, you'll see the subsidy fall off at reconciliation.

family day care special rules

family day care (FDC) has a tighter rule. FDC providers can't claim CCS for absences on the child's first or last week at the service unless the child has actually attended at least one session in that same week. for centre-based care the rule is more relaxed, but FDC educators and their service coordinators are usually strict about it.

practical implications:

• don't book your first FDC day for a Monday if you're uncertain about the child settling — an absence that week gets no subsidy
• if your FDC educator takes leave, check whether you'll be charged and whether those days count toward your 42
• if you're winding up an FDC placement, make sure there's an actual attendance in the final week

checking your balance

the fastest way is myGov. once you're in Centrelink, choose Child Care Subsidy from the menu and look for the absence balance for each child. the number you see is the days remaining for the current financial year, not days used.

if you can't see it there, ask your provider. centre directors and FDC coordinators can see each family's absence count in their CCS management system — it's part of the data they submit every session report. a quick email to reception usually gets an answer within a day.

practical rules of thumb:

• a toddler in their first year of daycare typically uses 25-35 absence days — mostly illness
• if you're planning a three-week overseas holiday, that's 9-15 absence days gone before you count sickness
• families that travel a lot or have kids who get sick easily can run out by May — plan medical certificates early in winter

frequently asked questions