Child Support Assessments for Non-Parent Carers

Sometimes children are cared for by someone other than their parent, such as a legal guardian, grandparent or other family member.

You can submit a non-parent carer child support assessment if all of the following circumstances apply:

• you have a shared care arrangement where you care for a child 128 nights or more a year
• you are not in a domestic relationship with either of the child’s parents
• you do not have care jointly with a parent of the child
• you are seeking payment from a person who is a parent of the child and resident in Australia or a reciprocating jurisdiction on the day you apply
• the child’s parents have consented to you caring for the child, unless it would be considered unreasonable for the parents to care for the child

If you apply for a child support assessment, you must apply to receive child support from both parents except where:

• one parent is not a resident of Australia or a reciprocating jurisdiction. This is an overseas country with which Australia has a child support arrangement
• one parent is deceased
• the Department of Human Services are satisfied there are special circumstances such as where the other parent is unknown

Child support payments are still worked out using both parents’ incomes and take into account any care they have. As a non-parent carer your income is not taken into account.

To receive a child support payment as a non-parent carer, you will need to apply for a child support assessment. The Department will need to be satisfied that the persons named in the application, are the parents of the child.