Need-to-know | Me mātua mōhio
Home-based educator emergency closures due to an infectious disease
In June 2024, a change was made to emergency closure (EC) funding conditions. Services can now request emergency closure funding when you are unable to operate because you cannot meet minimum staffing requirements due to a high number of staff, or an educator, being unwell with an infectious disease.
To help us manage emergency closure funding approvals for home-based educators unwell with an infectious disease, we have introduced the EC30 HB form.
EC30 - HB Home-based educator emergency closure application [PDF, 164 KB]
Service providers seeking approval for this educator emergency closure funding need to complete the EC30 HB form each calendar month in which there are emergency closures due to staff being unwell with an infectious disease. Please submit this to your local Te Mahau office.
If approved, services can then use absence funding for the EC days. Normal absence funding rules apply.
An amendment has been made to the ECE Funding Handbook to clarify and reflect the emergency closures for home-based educators with the addition of an emergency closure chapter for home-based services.
Chapter 7-5 now contains:
Chapter 7-5-1 Centre based emergency closure – Ministry of Education
Chapter 7-5-2 Home based emergency closure – Ministry of Education
Home-based services visiting teacher support payments
Home-based visiting teacher support payments have not been available since 1 January, following changes to the requirements for home-based ECE services.
Further details available at:
Changes to requirements for licensed home-based ECE services – Early Learning Bulletin
Any services that have outstanding home-based visiting teacher support payment claims for 2024 should contact [email protected] to request a link to submit the required claim data.
Heads-up | He kupu puaki
2024 ECE Census data now available
The 2024 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Census statistics and summary fact sheets were recently released on Education Counts.
The ECE census is administered every year and provides a snapshot of high-level statistics for ECE in New Zealand. Data captured is for a one-week period in June and includes information about the services, participation/attendance numbers, teaching staff and the use of languages.
Compared to the 2023 ECE census week, in the 2024 ECE census week:
- the number of children participating in licensed services increased 2% – from 191,602 to 194,597
- the number of licensed services decreased 2% – from 4,482 to 4,409
- the number of teaching staff decreased 1% – from 33,736 to 33,309.
Read the statistics and summary fact sheets here:
Statistics – Education Counts
Annual Early Childhood Education Census – Education Counts
Education Gazette: New issue online
You can read issue 1 here:
Education Gazette: Issue 1 - Issuu
Read the following early learning stories on our website:
Tough roads, tougher hearts: Kererū learning community rides through adversity – Education Gazette
Issue 2 is out on 3 March. You can sign up at:
