ECE Funding Handbook
Welcome to the ECE Funding Handbook. This handbook is issued under section 548(5) of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Funding of certain services and certified playgroups – NZ Legislation(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' of everything you need to know about early childhood funding, including:
- the ECE Funding Subsidy
- 20 Hours ECE funding
- equity funding
- the annual top-up for isolated services
This information does not apply to certificated playgroups
The information in the Funding Handbook does not apply to certificated playgroups.
These services should contact their Ministry regional office for further information.
Local Ministry offices
Download the ECE Funding Handbook
If you would like to print a 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
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for 2024
Table 1: Base funding rates for all-day education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 January 2022
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2-year-olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$13.78
$8.08
$13.19
$14.16
$8.30
$13.55
$15.07
$8.75
$14.00
80-99% certificated t…
Table 2: Parity funding rates for all-day education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 January 2022.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2-year-olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$14.13
$8.29
$13.52
$14.66
$8.60
$14.02
$15.57
$9.06
$14.48
80-99% certificate…
Table 3: Extended parity funding rates for all-day education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 January 2023.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2 year olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$15.88
$9.32
$15.19
$16.79
$9.77
$15.64
80-99% certificated teachers
$15.21
$8.42
$14.35
$16.12
$8.87
$14.80
50-79% certificat…
Table 4: Full parity funding rates for all-day education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 November 2023.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2-year-olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 November 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$16.19
$9.48
$15.46
$17.97
$10.37
$16.35
80-99% certificated teachers
$15.59
$8.68
$14.70
$17.37
$9.57
$15.59
50-79% certificat…
Table 5: Base funding rates for sessional education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 January 2022.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2 year olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$12.63
$6.27
$7.60
$12.98
$6.44
$7.81
$13.89
$6.89
$8.26
80-99% certificated t…
Table 6: Parity funding rates for sessional education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 January 2022.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2-year-olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$12.59
$6.43
$7.79
$13.44
$6.67
$8.08
$14.35
$7.13
$8.54
80-99% certificated…
Table 7: Extended parity funding rates for sessional education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 January 2023.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2-year-olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$14.56
$7.23
$8.75
$15.47
$7.68
$9.20
80-99% certificated teachers
$13.53
$6.14
$7.89
$14.44
$6.59
$8.34
50-79% certificated…
Table 8: Full parity funding rates for sessional education and care services and hospital-based services from 1 November 2023.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2 year olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 November 2023
Rates from 1 December 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$14.84
$7.36
$8.91
$16.62
$8.25
$9.80
80-99% certificated teachers
$13.87
$6.33
$8.09
$15.65
$7.22
$8.98
50-79% certificated t…
Table 9: Funding rates for all day and sessional Kindergartens from 1 December 2022 *20 Hours ECE extended to 2-year-olds from 1 March 2024.
These rates are valid from 1 December 2022 after the The Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers’ Collective Agreement (KTCA) was ratified.
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 December 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 July 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over…
Table 10: Rates for all day teacher-led home-based ECE services from 1 January 2022.
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2-year-olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Quality
$9.16
$4.91
$10.23
$9.41
$5.05
$10.51
Standard
$7.28
$3.94
$8.76
$7.48
$4.05
$9.00
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024…
Table 11: Rates for Kōhanga reo (except those recognised as teacher-led for funding purposes) from 1 January 2021
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2 year olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Quality
$13.40
$8.72
$12.82
$13.77
$8.96
$13.17
Standard
$12.22
$8.15
$12.33
$12.56
$8.37
$12.67
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates…
Table 12: Rates for playcentres from 1 January 2023
*20 Hours ECE extended to 2 year olds from 1 March 2024
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 November 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Quality
$10.23
$5.14
$6.38
$10.23
$5.14
$6.38
Standard
$8.95
$4.50
$5.74
$8.95
$4.50
$5.74
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and o…
Table 14: Equity Funding rates for eligible services from 1 January 2022.
Equity Funding Rates (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2022
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 January 2024
Equity Funding Component A: Low Socio Economic (per funded child hour)
EQI 1
$1.06
$1.09
$1.15
EQI 2
$0.82
$0.84
$0.88
EQI 3
$0.47
$0.48
$0.51
EQI 4
$0.22
$0.23
$0.24
Equity Funding Component B: Special Needs Funding (per funded child hour)
EQI 1
$0.50
$0.51
$0.54
EQI 2
$0.31
$0.32…
Table 15: Targeted funding for disadvantage rate for eligible services from 1 March 2022
$ per targeted hour (including GST)
Rate from 1 March 2022
Rate from 1 March 2023
Rate from 1 March 2024
Eligible services
$0.37
$0.38$
$0.40
… 5 credits towards a required qualification at Level 4 or above
[Partial]
1 January 2021
30%
20%
All remaining educators (0-70%)
1 June 2022
50%
20%
All remaining educators (0-50%)
1 January 2023
70%
20%
All remaining educators (0-30%)
1 January 2024
80%
20%
This category no longer applies
^ Educators who do not yet have credits towards a required qualification.
Educators who join a quality funded licence without a completed qualification can only remain in induction for a maximum of 6 mo…
The following sections outline the rate requirements in place from 1 June 2022 until 31 December 2022. They will remain here for information purposes until the next phase of transition on 1 January 2024. Service may still be audited on periods covered by these requirements so should ensure they have complied at all relevant times.
