The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that in 2014 about half of children under age 12 attended some type of child care.
Long day care is the most common choice for parents with pre-school age children. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, about 45 per cent of children between age 2-3 years attended long day care in 2011.
The Australian government provides child care support for eligible families mainly in two forms: Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate.
Child Care Benefit is available to families who meet the Department of Human Services income test.
The Child Care Rebate, on the other hand, isnt income tested, as long as parents meet the work, training or study requirements during the week.
It covers up to 50 per cent of the child care cost with a limit of $7,500 per child.
However, the government also requires all children to be immunised in order to access child care payments.
Families need to register with Centrelink and use approved or registered child care service.
Parents should speak to Centrelink to assess how much subsidy they can receive to offset the fees.
For more information on child care options visit www.mychild.gov.au and to find out about accessing financial assistance visit www.humanservices.gov.au
You can check the quality ratings of a service provider by visiting www.acecqa.org.au
