Childcare fees and the Child Care Subsidy, explained
Working out the real cost of childcare shouldn't be confusing. Here's exactly what a day at Kids Kingdom costs, everything already included in that fee, and how the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS) reduces what your family actually pays each week across our Hoppers Crossing and Sydenham centres.
Our all-inclusive daily fees
One daily fee covers meals, nappies, sunscreen, excursions and incursions, this is the price before the Child Care Subsidy is applied.
Hoppers Crossing, Long Day Care
$150 per day before subsidy. Meals, nappies, sunscreen, excursions and incursions all included.
Sydenham, Long Day Care
$152 per day before subsidy. Meals, nappies, sunscreen, excursions and incursions all included.
Half day & short sessions
Hoppers Crossing offers a half day at $85 and a 9:00am–3:00pm session at $90. Ask the team about availability.
Funded kindergarten
3 & 4-year-old Integrated Kindergarten is government funded, with 7.5-hour program days led by a qualified kindergarten teacher.
Why all-inclusive matters
The advertised rate is only half the story. Compare the full daily inclusions, not just the headline price.
What is the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)?
The Child Care Subsidy is the main way the Australian Government helps families with the cost of childcare. It is paid directly to your centre, reducing the fees you pay out of pocket. How much you receive depends on three things: your family's combined income, the activity level (work, study, training or volunteering) of the parents, and the type of care. Most families are eligible for some subsidy, and lower-income families can have the large majority of their daily fee covered.
- Calculated from family income, activity level and type of care
- Paid straight to the centre, so you only cover the gap fee
- Applies to long day care and the days around funded kinder
- Set up through your myGov account linked to Centrelink before your child starts
How the subsidy reduces your daily fee
Free Kinder and funded kindergarten costs in Victoria
In Victoria the state government funds a kindergarten program for both three- and four-year-olds. At Kids Kingdom it's delivered as Integrated Kindergarten, a qualified kindergarten teacher runs the funded program inside your child's normal long day care day, so there's no separate sessional-kinder drop-off and pick-up to juggle. The funded kindergarten program is supported by Victoria's Free Kinder initiative; the long day care around it is charged at our daily fee and then reduced by the Child Care Subsidy. It's how many local families access a full, teacher-led kindergarten year without the standalone sessional-kinder fees charged elsewhere, talk to our team about exactly how it applies to your enrolment days.
- 3 & 4-year-old funded kindergarten, led by a qualified kinder teacher
- Integrated into the day, no separate kinder run across town
- Supported by Victoria's Free Kinder funding
- The Child Care Subsidy still reduces the surrounding long day care days
Estimate your real out-of-pocket cost
Rather than guess, use our free Child Care Subsidy calculator to estimate what your family would actually pay per day and per week at Kids Kingdom after CCS. It takes about a minute and helps you compare us fairly against other childcare centres in Hoppers Crossing and Sydenham.
- See an estimated daily and weekly gap fee for your family
- Understand the value of the all-inclusive fee before you tour
- Bring your estimate to your tour and we'll confirm the details
Childcare fees & subsidy FAQs
The questions families ask most often about the cost of care and how the subsidy works.
How much does childcare cost at Kids Kingdom?
Long day care is $150 per day at Hoppers Crossing and $152 per day at Sydenham, before the Child Care Subsidy. That daily fee already includes meals, nappies, sunscreen, monthly excursions by our centre bus, and incursions, so there are no surprise extras. After CCS, most families pay significantly less.
How much will I actually pay after the Child Care Subsidy?
It depends on your family income and activity level, but many families have a large share of the daily fee covered. The quickest way to get a realistic figure is our Child Care Subsidy calculator, which estimates your per-day and per-week out-of-pocket cost.
Is kindergarten free at Kids Kingdom?
Our 3 & 4-year-old Integrated Kindergarten is government funded and delivered by a qualified kindergarten teacher as part of the day. Victoria's Free Kinder funding supports these programs, ask our team how it applies to your enrolment days.
What is included in the daily fee?
Nutritious meals and snacks, nappies, wipes, sunscreen, hats, all learning resources, monthly excursions by centre bus, and regular incursions such as Hey Dee Ho and Alphatykes. It is a genuinely all-inclusive fee designed to remove hidden costs.
How do I claim the Child Care Subsidy?
You apply through your myGov account linked to Centrelink before your child starts. Once approved, the subsidy is paid directly to the centre and we reduce your fees accordingly. Our team can walk you through the steps on your tour.
Are there discounts for siblings or extra days?
Families with more than one child in care may be eligible for a higher subsidy rate for younger children through Centrelink. Speak with our team about current availability and how additional days affect your weekly cost.
What is a gap fee?
The gap fee is what your family pays after the Child Care Subsidy has been applied to the daily fee. If the daily fee is $150 and your assessed subsidy covers most of it, the gap fee is the smaller amount left over. Our CCS calculator estimates your likely gap fee per day and per week.
Do I pay for days my child is absent?
Fees still apply on booked days when your child is absent, and the Child Care Subsidy covers a set number of allowable absence days each year. The team can explain how absences work for illness and holidays.
Are fees charged on public holidays?
Both centres close on public holidays, and booked days that fall on one are charged as normal, with the Child Care Subsidy applying as usual. We are open every other weekday of the year.
All-inclusive daily fees
See the value in person, book a tour.
Tour Hoppers Crossing or Sydenham, meet the educators, and get a clear, personalised breakdown of fees and subsidy for your family.
