Long day care is the most common choice for parents with pre-school age children.
Family day care is an approved service provided at the educators own home.
It is a more home-like environment compared to long day care centres.
And there are child care services for outside of school hours.
Parents can check the rating of a service provider by visiting the Australian Childrens Education and Care Quality Authority website.
The Australian government provides child care support for eligible families mainly in two forms: Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate.
Child Care Benefit is available to families who meet the Department of Human Services income test.
Samantha Page is CEO of Early Childhood Australia, the countrys peak early childhood advocacy organisation.
The childcare benefit pays a proportion of the fee and it is means tested so it depends on your household income as to how much Child Care Benefit youre eligible for but that will pay sort of up to $4 an hour of the fee, Samantha Page said.
The Child Care Rebate, on the other hand, isnt income tested, as long as parents meet the work, training or study requirements during the week.
It covers up to 50 per cent of the child care cost with a limit of $7,500 per child.
However, the government also requires all children to be immunised in order to access child care payments.
Families need to register with Centrelink and use approved or registered child care service.
The Child Care Rebate reimburses you effectively 50% of your out-of-pocket expenses. For example, youre using a long day care service that charges $100 a day, you might be eligible for up to $40 or $46 of that covered by Child Care Benefit and then of the remaining $60 you have to pay, you might get $30 of that back through the Child Care Rebate, Samantha Page said.
The more popular centres in metropolitan areas tend to have a longer waiting list, so parents need to sign up early to save a spot.
