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7-5-1 Centre-based emergency closure#

Funding continuity#

Funding will continue where a service was forced to close for a short time, in an emergency only when funding approval for the emergency closure is obtained by submitting a request to the Education Review Office (ERO).

Email: [email protected]

Example: emergency#

The following are examples of emergencies where funding will continue:

  • extreme weather conditions
  • interruptions to essential services
  • non-controllable health and safety issues
  • civil defence emergencies.

Example: non-emergency#

The following examples are not emergencies:

  • lack of staff (except when this is due to a non-controllable health and safety issue)
  • person responsible is absent
  • funerals in the community 1
  • A&P show.

The Ministry will not fund closures caused by these circumstances.

1 There may be exceptions to this. Contact the Education Review Office for more details.

Approval required#

If your service is forced to close in an emergency:

  1. Contact ERO at the first available opportunity.

  2. Provide ERO with all information required for the approval. ERO will provide a letter to confirm approval/not approval of emergency closure funding.

Record keeping requirements#

If your service was given written approval for an emergency closure confirmed by letter or email and you are submitting an electronic RS7 Return:

  1. Keep the approval letter or email for your records.
  2. Record the emergency closure in your system.
  3. Record all children as absent for the day of the emergency closure. Funding may be claimed for the hours that children have a permanent enrolment subject to the funding maximums of the ECE Subsidy and 20 Hours ECE.
  4. Calculate the FCH claim using the actual booked hours for the day(s) of emergency closure.

If a service was given written approval for an emergency closure confirmed by letter or email and you are submitting a paper-based RS7 Return:

  1. Keep the approval letter or email for your records.
  2. Record all children as absent for the day of the emergency closure. Funding may be claimed for the hours that children have a permanent enrolment subject to the funding maximums of the ECE Subsidy and 20 Hours ECE.
  3. Note the Emergency Closure on your RS7 Return using the code “EC” in the Staff Hour Count column on the day of closure.
  4. Calculate the FCH claim using the actual booked hours for the day(s) of emergency closure.

If your service was not given written approval for an emergency closure funding cannot be claimed during the closure. Record the days of closure as “Service Closed” in your RS7 Return.

7-5-2 Home-based emergency closure#

Introduction#

An emergency closure occurs when circumstances beyond the control of home-based services or individual home-based educators cause temporary closures.

Closures are normally for 1 or 2 days only.

Funding continuity#

Funding will continue where a home-based service or individual home-based educator was forced to close for a short time, in an emergency only when funding approval for the emergency closure is obtained by submitting a request to the Education Review Office (ERO).

Note: Home-based service providers must try to place the enrolled child/ren with another educator before applying for emergency closure approval.

Example: emergency#

The following are examples of emergencies where funding will continue for a home-based service:

  • extreme weather conditions
  • non-controllable health and safety issues
  • civil defence emergencies.

Home based service providers can apply for emergency closure for individual educators in the following situations:

  • extreme weather conditions
  • interruptions to essential services
  • non-controllable health and safety issues stemming from an infectious disease (This only applies to the educator, not other residents in their household)
  • civil defence emergencies.

Example: non-emergency#

The following examples are not emergencies:

  • lack of staff, including home-based educator absence (except when this is due to a non-controllable health and safety issue stemming from an infectious disease)
  • person responsible is absent
  • funerals in the community 1
  • A&P show.

The Ministry will not fund closures caused by these circumstances.

1 There may be exceptions to this. Contact ERO for more details.

Approval required#

If your home-based service or individual home-based educator is forced to close in an emergency, other than an infectious disease:

  1. Contact ERO at the first available opportunity.

  2. Provide ERO with all information required for the approval. ERO will provide a letter to confirm approval/not approval of emergency closure funding.

Where an individual home-based educator is not able to provide education and care due to a non-controllable health and safety issue stemming from an infectious disease:

  1. Collate the individual home-based educator absences that have occurred due to a non-controllable health and safety issue stemming from an infectious disease, for the last calendar month into the EC30 HB.

  2. Submit the EC30 HB to ERO at the end of the calendar month.

  3. ERO will provide a letter to confirm approval/not approval of emergency closure finding.

    Note: Emergency closure approval requests older than one calendar month will not be approved.

Record keeping requirements#

If your home-based service was given written approval for an emergency closure confirmed by letter or email and you are submitting an electronic RS7 Return:

  1. Keep the approval letter or email for your records.
  2. Record the Emergency Closure in your system (ELI or SMS).
  3. Record all children as absent for the day of the emergency closure. Funding may be claimed for the hours that children have a permanent enrolment subject to the funding maximums of the ECE Subsidy and 20 Hours ECE.
  4. Calculate the FCH claim using the actual booked hours for the day(s) of emergency closure.

If your home-based service was given written approval for an emergency closure confirmed by letter or email and you are submitting a paper-based RS7 Return:

  1. Keep the approval letter or email for your records.
  2. Record all children as absent for the day of the emergency closure. Funding may be claimed for the hours that children have a permanent enrolment subject to the funding maximums of the ECE Subsidy and 20 Hours ECE.
  3. Calculate the FCH claim using the actual booked hours for the day(s) of emergency closure.

If your home-based service was not given written approval for an emergency closure, funding cannot be claimed during the closure. Record the days of closure as “Service Closed” in your RS7 Return.

Home-based service individual educators' emergency closure

Home-based service providers, who have gained emergency closure approval for individual home-based educator emergency closure, should record the children enrolled with this educator as absent. Normal absence rules apply.

Apply absence rules when submitting the service RS7 Return. Retain the EC30 HB with the approval letter for your records.

If approval is not given for the individual home-based educator absence, child absence funding cannot be claimed during this closure.