The 3 Day Guarantee sets a floor under Child Care Subsidy (CCS) hours. Since 5 January 2026, every eligible family gets at least 72 hours of subsidised care a fortnight for each child, whether or not the parents are working, studying or looking for work. Families who clear the activity threshold get 100 hours instead.
This guide covers the two levels and the rule that decides between them. For the full list of what counts as activity, see the CCS activity test explained.
What the 3 Day Guarantee is
CCS has two separate settings for each family:
- The subsidy rate — the percentage of the fee paid, set by family income. See how much Child Care Subsidy will I get?.
- The subsidised hours — how many hours of care each fortnight, for each child, can attract that rate. This is set by the activity test.
The 3 Day Guarantee is about the second one. From 5 January 2026, the lowest level of subsidised hours for an eligible family is 72 hours a fortnight for each child — about three days of care a week, depending on session length, which is where the name comes from.
Before that date, subsidised hours were stepped by the amount of activity, so families doing little or no recognised activity had fewer subsidised hours, or none. The old in-between levels no longer apply.
The guarantee does not change who is eligible for CCS in the first place. The child still needs to be in approved care, and the usual eligibility conditions still apply.
The two levels
| Recognised participation, each parent, per fortnight | Subsidised hours per child, per fortnight |
|---|---|
| 48 hours or fewer, including none | 72 hours (3 Day Guarantee) |
| More than 48 hours | 100 hours |
There are only two levels. NestWise's CCS calculations pay one or the other, and nothing in between.
Who gets 72 hours
Every eligible family who does not qualify for the higher level. That includes:
- families where one parent is at home full-time with no recognised activity
- a couple where one partner works full-time and the other does 48 hours or fewer of recognised participation a fortnight
- a single parent with 48 hours or fewer of recognised participation a fortnight
Who gets 100 hours
Under the Department of Social Services (DSS) Family Assistance Guide (section 3.5.2.10), the parent and their partner, if they have one, must each do one of these:
- complete over 48 hours of recognised participation a fortnight
- have an exemption from the activity requirement
- care for a child who is identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander — that child gets 100 subsidised hours a fortnight regardless of activity
The threshold is "more than", not "at least"
The wording is over 48 hours. A parent with exactly 48 hours of recognised participation in a fortnight stays on the 72-hour level. NestWise's calculators apply it the same way.
In a couple, the lower partner decides
Both partners have to meet the test on their own. It is not an average or a combined total. A family where one partner works long hours and the other does 48 hours or fewer of recognised participation stays on 72 hours. The worked patterns in the activity test guide show how this plays out.
A single parent is assessed on their own activity only.
What counts as recognised participation, briefly
Paid work counts, including self-employment, along with approved study and training, volunteering, actively looking for work, and some other activities. Paid or unpaid parental leave counts at the hours worked before the leave started. The detail, and the activities that are easy to leave out, are in the CCS activity test explained and the four things you're probably not counting.
What the difference means in practice
The level matters only if your children are booked into more care than your subsidised hours cover.
- Care within 72 hours a fortnight. Moving up to 100 hours changes nothing for you. The subsidy rate is the same either way.
- Care booked beyond 72 hours a fortnight on the lower level. Each session's hours count against the fortnightly limit. Hours beyond the limit get no subsidy, so you pay the full fee for them.
Session length matters as much as the number of days. Hours are counted by the session, so long sessions use up the limit faster than short ones.
When your level can change
The level follows your circumstances, so it can move during the year:
- starting, finishing or changing work hours — see is an extra workday worth it? for how a fourth or fifth day can lift the family to 100 hours
- starting or finishing a course
- a partner returning from parental leave, or leaving work
- an exemption starting or ending
Keeping your activity details up to date with Centrelink keeps the hours paid in step with what you are entitled to.
How NestWise helps
The free CCS calculator asks for each parent's recognised participation, applies the "more than 48 hours, for each parent" rule, and shows which level your family is on and what it means for your out-of-pocket cost.
Related guides
- The CCS activity test explained
- The four things you're probably not counting toward CCS activity
- The CCS hourly fee cap
- Why did my childcare gap fee go up?
Sources: Services Australia — Activity test for Child Care Subsidy, Services Australia — Recognised participation for Child Care Subsidy, DSS Family Assistance Guide §3.5.2.10 — Recognised participation.