Childcare cost for 4 days a week in Australia
This page helps you estimate what 4 days a week of childcare can look like before and after subsidy. Using a broad long day care benchmark of around $130 to $180 a day, this usually means roughly $520 to $720 a week before CCS.
It is most useful if you are comparing providers, checking whether a part-time work pattern stacks up, or deciding whether to compare childcare options before you calculate your return-to-work outcome.
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What childcare for 4 days a week usually means
Four childcare days is common when one parent has a compressed work schedule or wants one weekday at home while otherwise working close to full time.
On a benchmark long day care fee of about $155 a day before subsidy, 4 days a week works out to roughly $620 a week, $1,240 a fortnight, and about $29,760 a year across 48 weeks of care.
Benchmarks use a broad long day care guide of roughly $130 to $180 per day before CCS, with actual out-of-pocket costs depending on your subsidy rate and any fees above the hourly cap. If you want the broader national context behind those assumptions, start with our childcare cost guide for Australia.
How this affects returning to work
The jump from three to four days can materially change your net financial outcome. It often increases gross income noticeably, but also increases total fees and gap payments.
The most important number is not just your childcare bill. It is what is left after childcare, tax, transport, and any lost family payments. That is why parents comparing 4 days a week usually need to model the real return-to-work result, not just the headline salary.
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Planning whether it is worth returning to work?
Model childcare fees, CCS, tax, and your real take-home pay before you lock in a care pattern.
How CCS changes the picture
The Child Care Subsidy can materially reduce the weekly cost of 4 days a week, but the amount depends on your combined family income, activity test result, provider fees, and how much of those fees sit above the hourly cap.
If you are trying to understand the subsidy rules first, read our Child Care Subsidy guide. If you want the calculation unpacked in plain English, the CCS calculator explained guide shows how rate caps and family income change what you actually pay.
Compare childcare options before you settle on the schedule
4 days a week can look very different depending on whether you are pricing long day care, family day care, or another care setup. Use our childcare options comparison first if you are still deciding between provider types, then use the return-to-work calculator once your likely fee range is clearer.