一张账单，三方付钱

费用与福利形式 · 背景

孩子在 long day care 里上 kinder，账单上有三方付钱：联邦的 CCS、维州的 Free Kinder offset，剩下的才是你。

正文

孩子在 childcare 里上 kinder，园里每周或每两周给你一张账单（invoice）。上面的钱不是你一个人付。

第一方：联邦的 Child Care Subsidy（CCS）。 按家庭收入算一个比例。2026–27 年，家庭收入 $88,520 以下是 90%，往上每多 $5,000 少 1%，到 $538,520 就没有了。这笔钱不经过你，政府直接付给园里。

第二方：维州的 Free Kinder offset。 只抵 kinder 那几个小时，不管其余的看护时间。在 long day care 里，它按周或按两周分摊进账单，账单上写作 Victorian Government Free Kinder offset。拿不拿得到 CCS 都有。

第三方才是你。 两笔都扣完，剩下的是你自掏腰包的（out-of-pocket）。

顺序：先扣 CCS，再扣 offset。 维州官网原话是：If you are eligible for the Commonwealth Childcare Subsidy it will be applied first.

官网的例子： 一个四岁孩子一周去 3 天，园里收 $360；CCS 是 $252；2025 年的 offset 一年 $2,101，分 40 周，每周 $52.53；家里每周付 $55.47。（官网这里写成了 $55.478，多了一位。）

gap fee 有两个口径，要分清。 联邦官网说 gap fee 是「园费减 CCS」，不含 offset。维州的 offset 是在这个基础上再扣。所以园里说的 gap 和你最后付的钱，可能不是同一个数。听到 gap 先问一句：是扣 offset 之前还是之后？

判断： 家长会上听不懂，多半不是英语不好，是没人跟你讲过这三方是什么关系。先把账单上的三行认出来，后面的词才有地方放。

官网原文精读（三句）

  1. Families must still pay the gap fee, which is the difference between the provider's fee and the CCS amount. 家长还是要付 gap fee，也就是园费和 CCS 之间的差额。 （Department of Education）

  2. You should be able to see the amount clearly stated on your invoice as 'Victorian Government Free Kinder offset'. 账单上应该能清楚看到这一笔，写作「Victorian Government Free Kinder offset」。 （Victorian Government）

  3. If you are eligible for the Commonwealth Childcare Subsidy it will be applied first. That means you will only need to pay the remaining amount after CCS and after the Free Kinder offset. 如果你能拿 CCS，先扣 CCS。你只需要付扣完 CCS 和 offset 以后剩下的部分。 （Victorian Government）

今天的词

词 读音 级别 中文 官网原句 常见搭配
invoice /ˈɪnvɔɪs/ ≈B2 账单、发票 clearly stated on your invoice weekly / fortnightly invoice
offset /ˈɒfset/（名词重音在前） ≈C2 抵扣 Victorian Government Free Kinder offset a fee offset; tax offset
gap fee /ɡæp fiː/ 专名 差额费 the gap fee, which is the difference between the provider's fee and the CCS amount pay the gap fee
out-of-pocket /ˌaʊt əv ˈpɒkɪt/ ≈C2 自掏腰包的 This is also known as the out-of-pocket cost out-of-pocket cost / expenses

给英语好的读者： apply 这里不是「申请」，是「（把一笔钱）算进去、扣上」。

  • it will be applied first（先扣）
  • The Free Kinder offset will be applied to your fees regularly across the year.（offset 按期分摊进你的账单）

同样的用法在账单、折扣、税上都会遇到：apply a discount、apply a credit to your account。

换个场景也用： 看病时也有 gap。Medicare 官网说 gap amount 是你拿到的 Medicare benefit 和 schedule fee（收费标准）之间的差；out of pocket 比的是医生实际收的钱。看病时这两个数不一样，在园里通常是一回事。报税也有 offset：tax offsets can reduce the tax you pay。

今天带走的一句

Could you show me where the CCS and the Free Kinder offset are on my invoice? 能指给我看，账单上哪行是 CCS、哪行是 Free Kinder offset 吗？

拆开看：

  • Could you show me where … are：请别人指给你看，比 Where is … 客气。
  • on my invoice：账单「上」用 on。

练一下

1. 认账单。 下面是照维州官网例子排的示意账单，不是哪家园的真账单，各园写法不一样。给每一行标上：园费 / 联邦 / 维州 / 你。

Fees (3 days)                               $360.00
Child Care Subsidy                         −$252.00
Victorian Government Free Kinder offset     −$52.53
Balance                                      $55.47

2. 算一下。 同一张账单，孩子上的是一周 5 小时的三岁 kinder。2025 年这种情况 offset 一年 $700.33，分 40 周是每周 $17.51。CCS 还是 $252。每周自付多少？

3. 填空（官网原句）。

  • If you are eligible for the Commonwealth Childcare Subsidy it will be applied ______.
  • Families must still pay the gap fee, which is the ______ between the provider's fee and the CCS amount.

4. 换个场景。 看病时，gap amount 是哪两个数的差？

答案： 1. 园费、联邦、维州、你。2. $360 − $252 − $17.51 = $90.49。3. first；difference。4. 你拿到的 Medicare benefit 和 schedule fee。

听力

A. 讲解（约 70 词）

When your child does kinder at a long day care centre, your invoice usually has three parts. First, there's the Child Care Subsidy, or CCS, from the Australian Government. It's paid directly to the centre. Second, there's the Free Kinder offset from the Victorian Government. It only covers the kinder hours. What's left is your out-of-pocket cost. The CCS is applied first, then the offset.

B. 示范对话（家长和园里前台，示范用，不是真实录音）

Parent: Hi, could you show me where the CCS and the Free Kinder offset are on my invoice?

Staff: Sure. This line here is your Child Care Subsidy. That comes off first.

Parent: And this one?

Staff: That's the Victorian Government Free Kinder offset. It only covers the kinder hours.

Parent: So the last line is what we pay?

Staff: That's right. That's your out-of-pocket amount.

Parent: Great, thanks. That makes sense now.

听完想一想： 前台说 That comes off first。come off 就是「扣掉」，和 apply 是一件事的两种说法：apply 是从园和政府那边说，come off 是从你的账单这边说。

明天

明天讲 CCS 的比例是怎么定的，顺带认几个缩写：CCS、ACCS、FTB、CRN。今天的 gap fee 和 offset 明天还会用到。

引用

  1. Department of Education · Child Care Subsidyeducation.gov.auFamilies must still pay the gap fee, which is the difference between the provider's fee and the CCS amount.
  2. Services Australia · Your income can affect itservicesaustralia.gov.auThe percentage goes down by 1% for every $5,000 of income your family earns above $88,520.
  3. Services Australia · How much you can getservicesaustralia.gov.auThis is also known as the out-of-pocket cost.
  4. Victorian Government · Free Kindervic.gov.auIf you are eligible for the Commonwealth Childcare Subsidy it will be applied first.
  5. Services Australia · Original Medicare Safety Netservicesaustralia.gov.auA gap amount is the difference between both of the following — the Medicare benefit you get, the schedule fee for out of hospital medical services.
  6. Services Australia · Extended Medicare Safety Netservicesaustralia.gov.auOut of pocket costs are the difference between both of the following — the Medicare benefit you get back, the doctor's fee for out of hospital medical services.
  7. Australian Taxation Office · Tax offsetsato.gov.auFind out how tax offsets can reduce the tax you pay.