Should childcare centres show fees online?

In most cases, yes. Publishing fees helps families assess whether an enquiry is realistic and reduces repetitive administrative questions.

Show the information needed to understand the actual charge:

• daily or session fee;
• session length;
• age or room differences;
• inclusions;
• unavoidable levies or charges;
• current effective date;
• confirmed future fee and commencement date where a change has been formally approved;
• funding arrangements that materially affect the fee, explained carefully.

The ACCC says businesses displaying a price should show the minimum total price, including unavoidable or pre-selected fees. ^R9 Claims must not mislead families about the price or likely saving. ^R10

Do not publish only “from $X” where most families cannot access that rate or where unavoidable charges make the statement incomplete. Do not show an after-CCS amount as though it applies to everyone.

A clear format is:

Daily fee: $190 for a 12-hour session
Includes: meals, nappies and excursions listed in the family handbook
CCS: may reduce the amount you pay. Your subsidy depends on your circumstances and is calculated subject to the hourly rate cap.

Keep fee information in normal webpage text rather than only in a PDF. This improves mobile access, search visibility and maintainability.

When fees change, retain a dated notice long enough for affected families to understand the transition, then update the primary page on the effective date.

Practical next step: ask a person unfamiliar with the centre to calculate the full charge before CCS from the website. If they cannot, the fee display is not clear enough.

Related guides

• How the CCS hourly rate cap affects a family’s childcare cost
• How should childcare centres explain costs after Child Care Subsidy?
• How should childcare centres communicate fee changes?