ECE Funding Handbook
Welcome to the Early Childhood Funding Handbook. This Funding Handbook is issued under section 548(5) of the Education and Training Act 2020(external link). The funding paid to licensed services is paid subject to the terms and conditions set out under this Handbook and must be complied with. The terms used in this Handbook are based in the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
This Handbook is designed to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all you need to know about early childhood funding, including:
- the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Funding Subsidy
- 20 Hours Early Childhood Education (ECE)
- Equity Funding
- the Annual Top-Up for Isolated Services
Note: The information in the Funding Handbook does not apply to certificated playgroups. These services should contact their Ministry regional office for further information.
Downloading the ECE Funding Handbook
If you want a printed copy of this handbook, refer to the list of downloads in the contents section where you will find downloadable PDF versions of each chapter.
ECE Funding Handbook downloads
Appendix 2: Resources and Examples
This appendix contains resources and examples referred to in this Handbook.
The tables below contain a list of all the resources and examples in this appendix.
| Resources for all Services | For more details see... |
|---|---|
| Enrolment Agreement Template | 6-1 |
| Sign in/Sign out Template | 6-3 |
| Resources for teacher-led services | For more details see... |
|---|---|
| Example Staff Record | 3-B-2 |
| Example Hospital Based Attendance Record for Enrolled Children | 3-B-3 |
| Staff Record Verification Sheet Template | 3-B-2 |
|
Example Funding Forms |
For more details see... |
|---|---|
| These example forms are available as separate PDF documents in ‘Reference materials and downloads’ below. | |
| RS7 Early Childhood Funding Returns Note: These examples contain all the possible sections that may be included in an RS7 Return. Your service’s RS7 Return may not include all these sections. |
Chapter 9 |
| RS2 Change of Bank Account | 8-1 |
| RS3 Initial Application for Funding for an Early Childhood Service | 7-1 and 7-2 |
| EC11 Application for Change of Service Quality Rate for Early Childhood Services | 3-C |
| EC11HB Application for Change of Service Quality Rate for Home-based Early Childhood Services | 3-B-4 |
| EC11/A Notification of Change of Qualified Persons for Early Childhood Services | 3-B-4 and 3-C |
| EC12 Application for Exemption from Absence Rules for Special and/or Health Needs | 7-7 |
| EC13 Medical Certificate to Support Application for Exemption from Absence Rule for Special and/or Health Needs | 7-7 |
| EC15 Application to Receive Equity Funding for Providing Early Childhood Education in a Language and Culture other than English | 10-4 |
| Guidelines for Targeted Funding for Disadvantage [PDF, 681 KB] | 13 |
| Reporting template for Targeted Funding for Disadvantage [PDF, 166 KB] | 13-4 and 12-3 |