From 7 July 2025, you will be required to include prescribed discounts in your session reporting and CCS hourly rate caps, and family income thresholds will increase.
In this guide learn about:
Reporting prescribed discounts
When creating a new prescribed discount, select the appropriate discount category for government reporting purposes. This ensures your session reporting is compliant.
If you have existing discounts set up, you’ll need to edit them to include a discount category. To create or edit a discount refer to Educators: Using Discounts in Storypark Office.
For more information about the upcoming changes to discount reporting, refer to the factsheet from the Department of Education.
Weekly discounts
From 7 July, discounts must be reported per session, not weekly.
If you have recurring weekly gap fee discounts, we will expire these for you, and you'll need to create a new one. For financial discounts, you'll need to edit them and include a discount category. While discounts are still added weekly, account transactions and statements will now report discounts per session as required by the government.
Non-prescribed discounts
Non-prescribed discounts such as loyalty discounts or enrolment incentives can be recorded under the Fees section. These types of discounts reduce the hourly fee for families, and therefore also lower the CCS entitlement. Reporting non-prescribed discounts is voluntary.
To report non-prescribed discounts:
Tick the checkbox for non-prescribed discounts
Select the discount category from the drop-down
In the amount contributed field, enter the monetary value of the discount per session
Note: The net amount entered should reflect the remaining fee after the discount has been applied.
Hourly rate caps and family income thresholds
From 7 July 2025, the CCS hourly rate caps and family income thresholds will increase. We’re making some updates, including the subsidy calculator, to reflect the new rate and income range.
These changes may affect the amount of subsidy families receive. Review the updated rates and thresholds to understand the impact on your centre and families.
Frequently asked questions
Q: We already have weekly gap discounts applied for staff members, and their plans are set to pay in advance. How can this be reported to the government as daily sessional discounts?
A: Any existing discounts without a discount category selected will automatically expire on 4 July 2025, and any transactions associated with these discounts will be reversed from the week starting 7th July 2025 onwards. You’ll need to create new discounts with the correct discount category to ensure they're reported correctly.
Q: How does the system ensure Start Strong funding is reported to the government by session?
A: The weekly amount entered under any Start Strong funding discounts that you've created will be used to calculate the amount per session, which is then applied to the transactions.
To ensure this is reported correctly, simply edit the financial discount and add the corresponding discount category.
Q: Can we use financial adjustments from 7th July onwards to backdate staff discounts? How do we backdate staff discounts?
A: Staff discounts can be backdated by using a discount with the correct category for the discount type. Do not use financial adjustments from 7 July 2025 onwards for any type of discount.
Q: Are we able to backdate Start Strong funding?
A: Start strong funding can be backdated using a discount with the correct category for the discount type. Do not use financial adjustments from 7 July 2025 onwards for any type of discount.
Q: How do we waive the gap fee in emergencies on or after 7th July?
A: The gap fee can be waived via Parent Account > Bulk Actions > Waive Gap Fee. This is reported to the government as a “Prescribed - period of emergency” discount.
Q: If we have been using financial adjustments to offer discounts such as sibling, holiday, promotional, etc., can we continue doing so in the future? If not, what is the correct method?
A: No, From 7th July onwards, adjustments must not be used for any kind of discounts. Discounts should be applied through the Discounts section with a selected category. For holiday discounts, you can create a new fee with the appropriate discount category.
Q: How can we report enrolment incentives or any third-party funds that do not fall under prescribed discounts?
A: Enable the Non-Prescribed Contribution toggle under Settings > Fees. Enter the net (discounted) amount first, then the contributed portion. CCS is only paid on the discounted fee for non-prescribed discounts.