You can claim FamilyBoost every quarter. How much you can claim is based on your household income for the quarter you are claiming.
You can only claim FamilyBoost for the childcare fees you are required to pay. Childcare fees do not include any donations or subsidies, like the Childcare Subsidy from Work and Income.
The quarters for claims are:
- 1 July to 30 September
- 1 October to 31 December
- 1 January to 31 March
- 1 April to 30 June.
Quarters ending after 1 July 2025
If your household income in a quarter is under $35,000, you can claim up to 40% of your ECE costs. You can claim up to $1,560 each quarter.
If your household income in a quarter is over $35,000 but under $57,286, your FamilyBoost payment will be the lesser of:
- 40% of the ECE fees you have claimed
- the maximum amount ($1,560) less 7 cents for each dollar you earn over $35,000.
Quarters ending before 1 July 2025
If your household income in a quarter is under $35,000, you can claim up to 25% of your ECE costs. You can claim up to a maximum of $975 each quarter.
If your household income in a quarter is over $35,000 but under $45,000, your FamilyBoost payment will be the lesser of:
- 25% of the ECE fees you have claimed
- the maximum amount ($975) less 9.75 cents for each dollar you earn over $35,000.
Calculating your household income
We assess FamilyBoost claims quarterly. If your household income changes from quarter to quarter, your entitlement may also change.
If your income is taxed before you get it (like salary and wages), we’ll use your income from the relevant quarter to work out your household income.
If you get other income (like self-employed income or schedular payments), we’ll use your latest income tax return. We will divide the income in your return by 4 to get your quarterly income amount.
If you earn income taxed before you get it as well as other income, we will use the greater of the 2.
You need to file your income tax return before you can claim FamilyBoost.
Find out more about income types and how to update them.
Estimate how much you can get
Use the FamilyBoost calculator to see how much you might be able to claim.