What is a CRN (Customer Reference Number)?

A CRN is a unique 9-digit number that Services Australia (Centrelink) uses to identify you in their system. You need a CRN for both yourself and your child to claim Child Care Subsidy. It is used to link your tax records, immunisation status, and childcare enrolments.

Does my child need their own CRN for CCS?

Yes. Both the parent or guardian and the child must have a CRN. The child's CRN links to their immunisation record on the Australian Immunisation Register and must match the details provided in their childcare enrolment.

How do I get a CRN for my child?

You can apply for a CRN for your newborn child via your myGov account, by calling Services Australia on 136 150, or by visiting a service centre. For a newborn, the birth is usually registered automatically through the hospital's Newborn Enrolment form, which also generates the child's CRN.

What if my child's CRN doesn't match their enrolment details?

If the details on the child's CRN (such as date of birth or name) don't match the childcare enrolment, CCS payments will be delayed or declined. Contact Services Australia on 136 150 to correct the discrepancy. Your childcare provider may also be able to assist with troubleshooting the enrolment.

CRN Number: What It Is, Where to Find It, and How to Get One

5 min read Updated 13 June 2026

CCS ExplainedapplyingmyGovCentrelinkenrolment

Your childcare centre will ask for two CRN numbers before they can link your enrolment to Centrelink — yours (or the claiming parent's), and one for each child. If either is missing or doesn't match what Centrelink has on file, your enrolment confirmation can stall and CCS payments may not start on time.

Here's what a CRN is, where to find yours, and what to do if something isn't working.

Estimate your CCS while you sort out your CRN →

The short version

A CRN (Customer Reference Number) is your unique Centrelink ID
Every person has their own — including each child
You need yours and your child's CRN before CCS can begin
Find yours in myGov under Centrelink, or on any letter from Services Australia
Children don't get a CRN automatically at birth — you need to add them to your Centrelink record

What a CRN is used for

Your CRN links everything in the Services Australia system — your CCS claim, income details, your child's enrolment, attendance records, and immunisation status. Every person who interacts with Centrelink has their own unique CRN. It never changes, and you use the same one for all Centrelink services throughout your life.

Your child's CRN works the same way. It's how Services Australia tracks their individual enrolments, attendance and immunisation compliance across any childcare service they attend.

Where to find your CRN

Where to look	How
myGov / Centrelink online	Log in to myGov → open Centrelink → go to Profile or Account details
Centrelink app	Shown in account settings after you log in
Letters from Services Australia	Printed near the top of most Centrelink correspondence
Previous Centrelink paperwork	Any old claim documents or payment summaries

Can't find it through any of these? Call Centrelink on 136 150. They'll confirm it after verifying your identity.

Does my child have their own CRN?

Yes. Each child needs their own CRN. For CCS, this is how Services Australia tracks their enrolments at each service and their immunisation status.

Children don't get a CRN automatically at birth. You add them when you make a family assistance claim.

If you've already claimed Paid Parental Leave or Family Tax Benefit, your child was likely added to your Centrelink record at that point. Log in to myGov → Centrelink and check whether your child appears as a linked person. Their CRN will be shown there.

If you've never made a family assistance claim, your child may not have a CRN yet. You'll need to add them to your Centrelink record, confirm their details, and make sure their immunisation is up to date in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Your childcare centre cannot create a CRN for your child — this has to be done through your myGov account.

How to get a new CRN

If you've never used Centrelink before and need to set up your own record:

Go to my.gov.au and create or sign in to a myGov account
Link Centrelink to your myGov account
Complete identity verification online

Once your identity is confirmed, Services Australia issues your CRN or confirms an existing one. In some cases — usually when online verification can't be completed — you'll need to visit a Services Australia service centre with ID documents.

If you've previously received any Centrelink payment, you already have a CRN. You don't get a new one for CCS — the same number is used across all services.

CRN mismatch — why enrolments stall

Common enrolment problem

The most frequent reason a CCS enrolment stalls is a CRN mismatch — the number your centre has doesn't exactly match your Centrelink record. CCS generally cannot be backdated for periods before a confirmed enrolment, so resolving this quickly matters.

If your centre tells you there's a problem with the enrolment, check these in order:

Log in to myGov and write down your CRN exactly as shown — digit by digit
Check your child's CRN in Centrelink under your linked children
Give both numbers to your centre in writing
If the problem continues, call Centrelink on 136 150

A mismatched CRN is usually a typo — one wrong digit. It's fixable, but the sooner you sort it the better.

Frequently asked questions

Can my childcare centre look up my CRN? No. Centrelink does not give providers access to CRN lookups. You need to supply it.

What if I've moved interstate or changed names? Your CRN stays the same. You may need to update your name or address in your Centrelink record, but the number itself never changes.

My child is a newborn — do I need to wait for their immunisations before getting a CRN? No. You can add your child to your Centrelink record and get their CRN before immunisations are due. You will need to ensure immunisation requirements are met before CCS payments begin, but the CRN itself is separate. See CCS immunisation requirements.

Does my partner need a separate CRN? Yes. If you have a partner, Services Australia uses both your records to assess your combined family income. Your partner needs their own CRN if they don't already have one.

Services Australia issues and manages CRNs. CCSChecker is not affiliated with Services Australia. For personalised assistance, contact Centrelink on 136 150 or visit servicesaustralia.gov.au.