What vacation care actually is
Vacation care is a holiday program run during school holiday breaks, usually by the same provider that runs a school’s before and after school care (often called Outside School Hours Care, or OSHC). Programs typically run for the full school day during the holidays, combining activities, excursions and free play, and are open to school-aged children, generally from the time they start school until they finish primary school or start high school, depending on the provider.
Who runs it, and where to find a program
Vacation care is usually run by a dedicated OSHC provider, a local council, a YMCA or PCYC branch, or the school itself, rather than being organised directly by the state education department. Because of this, the exact program, cost and booking process varies a lot by provider and by location, even within the same state. The most reliable way to find a program is to check with your child’s existing before and after school care provider first, since many run a holiday program automatically for enrolled families, or to search your local council website if your area doesn’t already have a familiar provider.
How the Child Care Subsidy applies
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS), administered by Services Australia, can apply to vacation care and OSHC in the same way it applies to other approved childcare, generally for children who haven’t yet started secondary school. The subsidy amount depends on combined family income, with a higher percentage of fees covered for lower-income families and the subsidy gradually reducing as income rises. Services Australia has also progressively introduced a minimum guaranteed number of subsidised hours per fortnight for eligible families, regardless of work or study hours, though the exact settings can change from year to year.
Subsidy percentages, income thresholds and hour entitlements are set by the Australian Government and are updated periodically, so this page intentionally doesn’t quote specific dollar figures. Check your current entitlement using the Payment Finder tool at servicesaustralia.gov.au, or ask your vacation care provider, since they deal with CCS claims every day and can usually estimate your out-of-pocket cost before you book.
Practical tips for booking vacation care
- Book early, especially for the summer break. Popular vacation care programs, particularly ones with excursions, can fill up weeks in advance, more so than a typical before or after school care place.
- Check whether public holidays inside the break are covered. Some providers close on public holidays that fall during a school holiday period; others run a modified program. See our guide to which 2026 public holidays fall inside a school break to see which breaks are affected.
- Ask about pupil-free days too. Because pupil-free days aren’t always on the standard school holiday calendar, confirm whether your OSHC provider also runs a program on those specific days.
- If you haven’t used care in a while, check your enrolment is still active. Some providers and CCS claims can lapse after an extended period without attendance, so it’s worth confirming before the holidays start rather than during the first week of the break.
Related pages
Plan around the actual school holiday dates, or browse the other planning guides on this site.