Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) Grandparent
The ACCS Grandparent helps eligible grandparents who are the primary carer of their grandchild by providing access to 100 hours of subsidised childcare per fortnight. The ACCS Grandparent provides assistance to ensure the cost of childcare is not a barrier to supporting children living in kinship care.
Who
The ACCS Grandparent provides 100 hours/fortnight of free or low-cost childcare for children who meet Centrelink’s eligibility requirements including grandparents who:
- are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
- get an income support payment
- are the grandparent of the child
- have at least 65% care of the child, and
- make the day-to-day decisions about the child’s care, welfare and development.
A grandparent is a child’s biological grandparent or great grandparent. This also includes if they’re related to the child through:
- adoption
- step parents, including former step parents
- artificial conception
- de facto relationships, or
- surrogacy arrangements.
What you can get
- The ACCS Grandparent is paid directly to the ECEC service on top of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and allows a child to access up to 100 hours per fortnight of free or low-cost childcare.
- The CCS and the ACCS: Grandparent can be applied for at the same time so it is important to discuss both subsides when working with grandparent carers.
How to access
Grandparent carers can contact the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Care Advisers on 1800 245 965 for support with accessing the CCS and ACCS Grandparent and to see what other Centrelink subsidies they may be eligible for.
Grandparent carers can also make direct contact with Centrelink to apply through:
- their Centrelink online account
- myGov
- the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
- visiting a Centrelink office and apply in person
Resources
More information about ACCS Grandparent on the Services Australia and Federal Department of Education websites.
- Starting Blocks has some helpful information for families about accessing childcare.
- Services Australia have a CCS Help Desk and an Additional Child Care Subsidy Team to support child care providers and services seeking answers.
