From the department
Changes to gap fee payments
Families using child care must pay the gap fee using electronic means from 1 July 2023.
Electronic funds transfer, or EFT, is when a customer pays a bill using electronic means. Typical EFT payment methods include:
bank or credit card, including mobile wallets
direct deposit or bank transfer, including PayID
online payment systems through third-party software
BPAY or Centrepay.
This change will help us protect Child Care Subsidy (CCS) against fraud and non-compliance.
Most services already accept EFT payments. Similarly, over 98% of families already use EFT to pay their gap fee.
Exemptions will apply in limited circumstances. We will provide more information about exemptions soon. We’ll also develop some materials you can use to communicate this measure to families.
Find detailed information about the changes and what you need to do on our website.
New reporting obligations for large providers
From 1 July 2023, large providers will have new financial reporting obligations.
Large providers must report financial information to the department, including information about revenue, profits, and leasing arrangements.
A large provider is one that:
operates 25 or more services
shares operation of 25 or more services with another provider
plans to operate or share operation of 25 or more services.
We’re contacting large providers directly. We’ll let you know what you’ll need to report and how to report. Make sure your provider-level email address is up to date in the Child Care Subsidy System. Do this via the Provider Entry Point (PEP) or your-third party software. Learn more about the new obligations for large providers on our website.