Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Modernisation

Industry: Federal Government
Engagement focus: Platform delivery, integration, long-term capability

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Context

Services Australia is responsible for delivering critical services to millions of Australians, including support for families accessing childcare. The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) programme was a major, legislated reform designed to simplify how families claim subsidies while supporting workforce participation and early childhood development.

The programme required the introduction of new digital services for families and providers, alongside significant changes to internal systems and processes. All of this needed to be delivered within a highly governed environment, while maintaining service continuity.

ZWare was engaged to support the design, build, and ongoing evolution of the CCS platform.

The Challenge

The Child Care Subsidy programme was a major reform with significant legislative, operational, and public impact. Beyond delivering an initial release, the real challenge was creating a platform that could continue to evolve as policy, legislation, and operational needs changed over time.

The programme faced several compounding challenges:

• Translating complex legislation into workable digital services
• Integrating new digital channels with existing SAP-based payment systems
• Supporting both citizen-facing and staff-facing experiences
• Adapting to changing requirements over time without destabilising the platform
• Building internal capability while maintaining delivery momentum
  
  

The risk was not simply technical failure. It was the risk of a system that could not adapt as policy and operational needs evolved.

The Approach

The Child Care Subsidy programme required an approach that balanced legislative compliance, operational stability, and long-term adaptability. The challenge was not simply delivering an initial release, but creating a platform that could evolve safely as policy and operational requirements changed.

ZWare worked closely with business and technology stakeholders to understand policy intent, operational workflows, and system constraints. Early decisions were shaped with longevity in mind, recognising that change would continue well beyond the first release.

The work focused on:

• Deep discovery to understand policy intent, operational workflows, and system constraints
• Designing end-to-end business processes that could support change over time
• Building modular digital services integrated with SAP-based back-end systems
• Establishing integration patterns with external childcare providers
• Providing continuity across build, release, and ongoing enhancement
  
  

Rather than treating CCS as a fixed delivery, the approach recognised it as a living platform that would continue to evolve.

Outcomes

The CCS platform was delivered successfully and has continued to evolve as policy and operational requirements changed. Early design decisions reduced the need for rework and allowed changes to be made without destabilising core services.

Families benefited from clearer, more accessible digital services, while staff were supported by integrated tools and processes. External providers were able to interact more effectively with government systems, reducing friction across the ecosystem.

As a result:

• Families gained simpler digital access to childcare subsidy services
• Staff were better supported with integrated tools and processes
• External providers were able to integrate more effectively with government systems
• The platform proved adaptable to ongoing legislative change
• Services Australia retained delivery capability beyond the initial release
  
  

ZWare’s ongoing involvement has helped ensure the platform remains stable, compliant, and capable of change.

Why ZWare

ZWare was trusted on CCS because the work required continuity, discipline, and an understanding of how large government platforms evolve over time. The focus was on building something that could last, not just something that could launch.

What This Means for You

If your organisation is delivering regulated, policy-driven platforms that need to evolve safely over time, early architectural and delivery decisions matter.

ZWare helps organisations create platforms that can adapt without constant rework or risk.

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