Type in your family’s income before tax, how many dependent children you have, and the hours of care you use, and this calculator shows the hourly Childcare Subsidy or OSCAR Subsidy rate you’d fall into — plus what that adds up to each week in term time, in the school holidays, and across a full year. It uses the official Work and Income rate bands that took effect on 1 April 2026, and it will tell you plainly if your income is over the cut-off.
You’d be in band 1 of 4, which pays $6.72 an hour.
During term time that’s about $100.80 a week (OSCAR is capped at 20 hours a week in term time). In the school holidays the cap rises to 50 hours, so at your rate the subsidy could cover up to $336.00 a week of holiday programme fees.
If you used 15 hours a week across 40 school weeks and 15 hours a week across 12 holiday weeks, that adds up to roughly $5,242 over a year.
You’re already on the top rate.
This is a guide, not a promise of payment — Work and Income assesses every application itself, and payments go straight to your provider.
The rate tables behind this calculator
Both the Childcare Subsidy (for under 5s) and the OSCAR Subsidy (for school-age children) use the same hourly rate scale, set by your gross weekly family income and how many dependent children you have. OSCAR is capped at 20 hours a week during term time and 50 hours a week in the school holidays. The Childcare Subsidy is capped at 50 hours a week, or 9 hours if you’re not working, studying or in approved training. At the top rate of $6.72 an hour, the caps work out at $134.40 a week for term-time OSCAR and $336.00 a week for holiday programmes or full-time childcare.
| Gross weekly family income (before tax) | Subsidy per hour |
|---|---|
| Under $1,131.00 | $6.72 |
| $1,131.00 to $2,059.99 | $5.36 |
| $2,060.00 to $2,231.99 | $3.75 |
| $2,232.00 to $2,403.99 | $2.09 |
| $2,404.00 and over | No subsidy |
| Gross weekly family income (before tax) | Subsidy per hour |
|---|---|
| Under $1,301.00 | $6.72 |
| $1,301.00 to $2,369.99 | $5.36 |
| $2,370.00 to $2,556.99 | $3.75 |
| $2,557.00 to $2,747.99 | $2.09 |
| $2,748.00 and over | No subsidy |
| Gross weekly family income (before tax) | Subsidy per hour |
|---|---|
| Under $1,457.00 | $6.72 |
| $1,457.00 to $2,643.99 | $5.36 |
| $2,644.00 to $2,867.99 | $3.75 |
| $2,868.00 to $3,090.99 | $2.09 |
| $3,091.00 and over | No subsidy |
Source: Work and Income childcare assistance rate tables, effective 1 April 2026. Rates change every 1 April.
If the calculator says no
The income cut-offs are hard edges, but they’re not the end of the story. 20 Hours ECE is not income tested at all — every 3 and 4-year-old (and 5-year-olds not yet at school) can get up to 20 hours a week of free early childhood education at a teacher-led service. FamilyBoost refunds up to 40 percent of early childhood fees, capped at $1,560 a quarter, and only phases out once household income passes $35,000 a quarter. And if your income swings week to week, Work and Income can assess you on an average, so a one-off good week doesn’t necessarily rule you out.
For the full picture — who qualifies, how to apply, and how the pieces fit together — read our Childcare and OSCAR Subsidy guide. For what holiday programmes cost and how to pick one, see school holiday programmes, costs and what to look for.
Questions or a correction? Tell us in the comments — we read all of them.