Why Some Families Are Suddenly Losing Childcare Hours – And What’s Changing in 2026

If you've scrolled through a Facebook mums’ group or parenting forum lately, you may have seen comments like this:

“I just found out my childcare hours have dropped to zero. I’m not working at the moment, but my toddler still needs the routine and social time. I feel like we’ve been cut off overnight.”

For some families, it feels like a sudden change — but in reality, the rules have been this way for several years. So what’s going on?

📌 The Activity Test: What Is It And How Does It Impact My Childcare Hours?

Under the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) system — introduced in 2018 — families must meet an activity test to receive subsidised childcare hours. The amount of subsidised hours you get depends on how much recognised activity you do each fortnight (e.g. paid work, study, volunteering, or looking for work).

• 0–8 hours of activity/fortnight → 0 subsidised hours (unless your income is under $80,000, in which case you may receive 24 hours)

• 8–16 hours → 36 hours subsidised care

• 16–48 hours → 72 hours

• 48+ hours → 100 hours

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So if you’re not currently working, studying, or doing other recognised activity, your hours can drop to zero — even if your CCS percentage is high.

⚠️ So Why Does It Feel Sudden?

While this isn’t a new rule, some families are only just feeling the effects now. Here's why:

• Stricter enforcement: There is no formal announcement from the government that stricter enforcement has started in 2025 — but anecdotal reports suggest more parents are receiving zero hours after reassessments or Centrelink reviews.

• Reassessment: If you haven’t updated your Centrelink details in a while or your circumstances changed, your subsidy can be recalculated — and hours reduced.

• More awareness: The announcement of the Three-Day Guarantee for 2026 has parents taking a closer look at how CCS currently works — and where it might fall short.

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🎯 The Arguments: Fair or Flawed?

Some parents support the strict approach, especially with waitlists and staff shortages making childcare hard to access. They say:

• Childcare places should go to working or studying parents first.

• If you’re at home, it makes sense to care for your own child.

  
  

But others argue it’s not that simple:

• Parents with health issues, disabilities, or mental health struggles may not be able to meet the activity test but still need occasional childcare.

• The system doesn’t account for unpaid labour, domestic duties, or burnout.

• Kids miss out on early learning, social skills, and routine — all of which benefit them long term.

🔄 What’s Changing in 2026?

From January 2026, the government will introduce a universal access guarantee of 36 subsidised hours per fortnight (3 days a week) for all children, regardless of their parents’ activity levels.

• All children will be guaranteed access to at least three days (36 hours) per week of subsidised early childhood education.

• It’s designed to remove barriers to access and make care more inclusive — even for those not currently meeting the activity test.

  
  

Until then, families who don’t meet the activity test will need to:

• Update their activity details (e.g. log job searching, volunteering, etc.)

• Apply for exemptions in certain hardship cases (short-term illness, trauma, etc.)

  
  
  
  

💬 What Do You Think?

Is it fair to expect stay-at-home parents to care full-time for their children without any subsidised support? Or does this help ensure that those who need childcare most get it first?

Have you been affected by changes to your CCS hours?

Let us know your experience — the more we share, the more informed we all are.