Most Bondi after school care and vacation care providers won’t tell you the price until you’ve enrolled. We do it the other way around. Here’s exactly what After School Care (ASC) and Vacation Care (VC) cost at WAYS OOSH in North Bondi — with the Child Care Subsidy already calculated for three real family scenarios. Updated for the 2026 financial year.
At WAYS OOSH in North Bondi, most families pay between $11.50 and $40 a day for Vacation Care, and between $8 and $30 per session for After School Care — after their Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is applied. The exact amount depends on combined family income, the activity test, and how many children you have in care. Below we walk through three real-world examples so you can find yours.
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) — which includes both After School Care and Vacation Care — is covered by the same Child Care Subsidy as long-day care, but with a separate hourly cap. For the 2025–26 financial year (which Centrelink starts paying from 7 July 2025), the OSHC hourly cap is $12.81 per hour. That’s the maximum hourly rate Centrelink will subsidise. Anything your provider charges above that, you pay the full difference out of pocket.
Your CCS percentage (how much of that $12.81 you get back) depends on three things:
These examples assume eligible activity hours, current CCS hourly caps, and our standard $115/day Vacation Care rate. Use them as a guide — the real number for your family is on your Centrelink dashboard.
| Family scenario | VC out of pocket per day | ASC out of pocket per session |
|---|---|---|
| Family A — Combined income ~$80,000. One child, both parents working part-time. Max 90% CCS. | ~$11.50/day | ~$8/session |
| Family B — Combined income ~$130,000. Two children, both parents working full-time. ~75% CCS. | ~$28/day per child | ~$18/session per child |
| Family C — Combined income ~$190,000. One child, both parents working full-time. ~50% CCS. | ~$55/day | ~$30/session |
| No CCS — Combined income over $533,280, or not registered for CCS. | $115/day (or $95 early bird) | Full standard rate |
These numbers are illustrative. Confirm your actual entitlement on your MyGov dashboard linked to Centrelink. Our enrolments officer can also walk you through it on the phone before you commit.
“Most providers won’t tell you the price until you’ve enrolled. We tell you on the call. If WAYS isn’t the right fit financially, we’d rather you know that today than discover it on your first invoice.”
Bondi parents often compare a $115/day Vacation Care rate to a $60/day “school holiday camp” and assume the cheaper option is the better deal. It usually isn’t — because most cheaper programs aren’t comparing apples to apples. Here’s what the WAYS VC fee includes that most don’t:
| Included in our daily fee | Most “cheaper” alternatives |
|---|---|
| Real off-site excursion (Luna Park, Sydney Trapeze School, Des Renford Pool, Symbio Park, etc.) | On-site activities only or generic incursions |
| Door-to-door bus transport from Bondi | Parent drop-off and pick-up at venue |
| All venue entry fees | Often charged separately ($20–$80 per excursion day) |
| Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea | Lunch box from home |
| Small groups (~15 per group, same educators all day) | 30+ children per group; rotating supervisor model |
| Trauma-informed + neurodiversity-aware educators (standard, not optional) | Variable; not a sector-wide requirement |
| Same building access to WAYS’ in-house psychology + family services if your child needs it | External referrals only — your problem to navigate |
Our standard After School Care session runs 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday during NSW school terms, for children aged 7–12. School pickup is included from a defined list of Bondi schools.
For Bondi families on the maximum 90% CCS, out-of-pocket cost per ASC session typically lands around $8 per session. For families on ~75% CCS, around $18 per session. For full-fee families, the standard rate applies.
What that includes:
You have three options, ranked by how much certainty you’ll have:
Our Family Information Pack covers all fees, schedules, and what’s included — for both After School Care and Vacation Care.
For the 2025–26 financial year (effective from 7 July 2025), the maximum subsidised hourly rate for Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) is $12.81 per hour. Centrelink applies your subsidy percentage to that hourly cap, not to your provider’s actual hourly rate. If your provider charges more than $12.81/hour, you pay the difference out of pocket.
Bondi families on the maximum 90% subsidy typically pay around $8 per After School Care session out of pocket. Families on ~75% subsidy pay around $18 per session. Families on ~50% subsidy pay around $30 per session. Confirm your exact entitlement on your MyGov Centrelink dashboard or by calling our enrolments officer.
Our standard Vacation Care rate is $115 per day ($95 per day if you book at least four weeks ahead during early bird windows). With the maximum 90% Child Care Subsidy applied, most families pay around $11.50/day out of pocket. Families on lower subsidy bands pay between $25 and $55 per day depending on income.
Door-to-door bus transport from the centre at North Bondi, all venue entry fees, all meals (breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea), small group ratios (~15 children per educator group), and educators trained in trauma-informed practice and neurodiversity support. Cheaper “school holiday camps” typically exclude transport and venue entry, which often makes them more expensive overall.
Yes. WAYS Out of School Hours Care (OOSH) is a CCS-approved provider for both After School Care and Vacation Care. You’ll need to be registered for CCS with Centrelink before enrolment — we can guide you through it if you haven’t done it before.
No. Vacation Care is booked day-by-day. You can book one day, three days, or both full weeks — whatever fits your work schedule. Days fill on a first-booked-first-served basis, so the most popular excursion days (typically Luna Park, swimming/inflatables, and trapeze) book out earliest.
From January 2026, every CCS-eligible family is guaranteed at least 72 hours of subsidised child care per fortnight — about three full days a week — regardless of activity test hours. It applies to all CCS-approved care types including OOSH. Practically, this means even families who don’t meet the standard activity test now still get subsidised access to After School Care and Vacation Care.
If you want a real number for your family before deciding, call Sarah Vandermaat on 0433 245 322 or email [email protected]. She’ll walk through your CCS entitlement and tell you what you’ll actually pay — before you fill out a single form. Or download the Family Information Pack for the full breakdown.
WAYS Youth & Family is a registered Australian charity (ABN 66 420 137 806) and has been serving families across Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs since 1979. WAYS OOSH is located at 63A Wairoa Avenue, North Bondi NSW 2026.
Ready to look closer? See how afternoons actually work at WAYS After School Care, or download the ASC info pack for the full fee breakdown, session times and pickup details.
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WAYS Youth & Family (Waverley Action for Youth Services) was founded in Bondi in 1979 and has supported Eastern Suburbs young people and families for more than 45 years. WAYS OOSH is part of a registered charity offering wraparound youth and family services under one roof. Read our story or get in touch with the team.
