Free Kindy and CCS in Queensland: How It Works in 2026 and 2027
Queensland Free Kindy covers an approved kindergarten program for up to 15 hours a week, 40 weeks a year.
At long day care, the centre reports the eligible childcare session fee and Child Care Subsidy is calculated first. Free Kindy then covers the part of your remaining fee linked to the approved kindy program.
You may still pay for longer sessions, extra days, additional care and weeks when the kindy program is not running.
Your child must attend an approved kindergarten program at a service participating in Free Kindy.
Quick answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the whole long day care day free? | Usually no |
| Is Free Kindy income tested? | No |
| Can the Queensland contribution vary between families? | Yes |
| Does Free Kindy apply all year? | It covers up to 40 program weeks |
See the Queensland Government Free Kindy information.
Is my child eligible?
Children generally attend Queensland kindy in the year they turn 4 by 30 June.
| Kindy year | Standard birth-date range |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 |
| 2027 | 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 |
Different rules may apply if your child delays kindy, sits outside the usual age group or has already completed a funded kindy year.
Check the Queensland Government kindy age requirements.
Planning for 2027
Queensland has stated that Free Kindy is continuing beyond 2026.
Families entering kindy in 2027 should still check:
- whether their chosen service is participating
- the final 2027 funding rules
- the centre's fees
- which days and hours make up its approved kindy program
- the CCS settings applying when care starts
- any CCS changes from July 2027
What does Free Kindy cover?
Free Kindy covers the approved kindergarten program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher.
The standard program provides:
- 15 hours a week
- 40 weeks a year
- up to 600 hours in total
How this affects your bill depends on the service.
Long day care
At long day care, the kindy program sits inside a longer childcare booking.
Your child might attend three 10-hour days each week, with the approved kindy program delivered during part of those sessions.
Free Kindy covers the part of your remaining fee linked to the approved program. You may still pay for the additional care around it.
Sessional kindergarten
At a participating sessional kindergarten, the approved 15-hour program is free.
You may still need to pay for:
- care before or after kindy
- care on non-kindy days
- school holiday care
- a separate childcare service
A sessional kindy may have a lower direct fee, but additional care can change the total annual cost.
How do CCS and Free Kindy work together?
The basic order is:
- Your centre charges and reports the eligible childcare session fee.
- CCS is calculated against that fee.
- Free Kindy covers the part of the remaining fee linked to the approved kindy program.
- You pay any remaining cost for care outside the funded program.
Under federal CCS rules, Free Kindy can reduce your remaining gap without reducing the CCS calculated on the session. This is treated as a prescribed discount.
The centre should not deduct Free Kindy from the reported session fee before CCS is calculated.
Official guidance:
- Australian Government guidance on third-party payments and discounts
- Queensland funding guidance for long day care providers
Estimate your kindy-year childcare costs
Enter your income, fees and care pattern to estimate your CCS and weekly out-of-pocket cost.
Does family income affect Free Kindy?
Free Kindy is not income tested.
Your family income still affects your CCS percentage, which changes how much remains after CCS.
A family with a higher CCS percentage may have a smaller remaining kindy fee. A family with a lower CCS percentage may have a larger one.
Queensland may therefore contribute different dollar amounts for two children attending the same centre. Both children still receive the approved kindy program free.
In simple terms:
- income does not decide whether your child gets Free Kindy
- income can change how much Queensland contributes after CCS
A simple long day care example
Your child attends three 10-hour days a week, with the approved 15-hour kindy program delivered during those sessions.
The kindy program is free, but you can still receive a bill for the additional long day care around it.
The centre calculates the kindy portion under the Queensland funding rules. It does not necessarily divide the daily fee evenly by the number of hours.
To check your bill, ask the centre to show:
- the full childcare fee
- the CCS amount
- the Free Kindy amount
- your remaining payment
Why am I still being charged?
Free Kindy makes the approved kindy program free. It does not make the entire long day care booking free.
You may still pay for:
Care outside the kindy program
A 10- or 12-hour childcare day usually includes more care than the funded kindy program.
Extra attendance
Free Kindy applies to the approved program rather than every hour or day your child attends.
Weeks when kindy is not running
Free Kindy covers 40 program weeks a year.
Long day care centres may stay open outside those weeks, but normal childcare fees may apply. CCS can continue to apply to eligible care.
Fees above the CCS hourly cap
Fees above the CCS hourly cap can increase your overall long day care cost.
Check the current CCS rates and hourly caps and ask the centre to explain how the hourly cap affects your total bill and which charges remain outside the funded kindy program.
Additional care or services
You may also pay for care or services outside the approved kindy program.
Compare your care options
See how different days, fees and income estimates affect your childcare costs.
Your centre will still need to confirm the Free Kindy amount applied to your statement.
How should Free Kindy appear on my statement?
The wording can vary between centres.
Look for something such as:
- Free Kindy
- Gap Fee Subsidy
- a credit against relevant sessions
- a reduction for the relevant funding period
Ask your centre to show:
- which days include the approved kindy program
- how many kindy hours are delivered on each day
- how the Free Kindy amount appears
- which part of the booking you are still paying for
Does Free Kindy change my CCS hours?
No.
Free Kindy does not increase or reduce your hours of subsidised care.
From 5 January 2026, CCS-eligible children receive at least 72 subsidised hours a fortnight, while some families qualify for 100 hours. The guarantee provides subsidised hours, not a childcare place.
See Services Australia's subsidised care hours guidance.
Long day care or sessional kindy?
The right option depends on the full care arrangement, not the kindy fee alone.
Long day care may suit you if you need:
- full working-day coverage
- longer opening hours
- care during more of the year
- one service for kindy and childcare
- CCS on the wider care arrangement
You may still pay for care outside the approved kindy program.
Sessional kindy may suit you if you:
- do not need full-day care
- can manage shorter program hours
- have flexible work arrangements
- have family support
- can arrange school holiday care separately
Compare the full annual cost, including wraparound care, holidays and any effect on work hours.
Questions to ask your centre
Before enrolling, ask:
- Are you participating in Free Kindy?
- Which days and hours make up the approved program?
- How will Free Kindy appear on my statement?
- What care will I still pay for?
- Which 40 weeks are funded?
- How many session hours do you report for each booked day?
Your centre should be able to separate the full childcare fee, CCS, the Free Kindy contribution and your remaining payment.
Before changing care arrangements
Compare the full annual cost before reducing long day care, moving to sessional kindy or changing work hours.
Include:
- childcare fees
- CCS
- Free Kindy
- non-program weeks
- wraparound care
- holiday care
- changes to household income
- changes to subsidised care hours
A cheaper advertised kindy option can still produce a higher total cost once additional care and reduced work hours are included.
Summary
In long day care, CCS is calculated first and Free Kindy then covers the part of the remaining fee linked to the approved kindergarten program.
Families may still pay for additional care and non-program weeks. Free Kindy is not income tested, although the Queensland contribution can vary with the family's CCS position.
For children entering kindy in 2027, the standard birth-date range is 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023. Confirm the centre's participation, fees, program hours and current CCS settings before care starts.
Check your numbers before enrolling
Estimate your CCS and broader childcare costs before changing days, work hours or providers.
Sources and verification
- Queensland Government – Free Kindy
- Queensland Government – Kindy age requirements
- Queensland Government – Funding Essentials for long day care providers
- Australian Government – Third-party payments and prescribed discounts
- Services Australia – CCS rates and hourly caps
- Services Australia – Hours of subsidised childcare
Government settings and provider arrangements can change. Check your centre's program structure and current CCS details before relying on an estimate.