Funding and data
Resources and information about operational funding and data collection.
- Funding handbooks
- Key funding dates 2021
- Financial declaration for early learning services
- Service audits
- The Targeted Funding for Disadvantage scheme
- Equity funding
- The 20 Hours ECE funding scheme
- Early learning information (ELI)
- Early learning statistics
- Further information
Funding handbooks
All information related to operational funding (also known as subsidy funding or bulk funding) is covered in the funding handbook.
There are two versions of the handbook available.
Funding handbook for:
- national bodies and advocates of licensed early learning services
- managers, administrators, educators, kaiako, parents and whānau working in licensed services
- staff and administrators of centrally-administrated services
- Ministry of Education staff.
Playgroup funding handbook for:
- certificated playgroups funded by the Ministry of Education, especially management committees.
Also see the handbook updates:
Key funding dates 2021
Day and Date | ID | Description |
---|---|---|
Friday, 1 January | SH | New Year’s Day |
Monday, 4 January | SH | Day after New Year’s Day Holiday |
Tuesday, 5 January | - | Ministry of Education National Office reopens |
Monday, 1 February | RS7 | March 2021 electronic RS7 submission period opens |
Monday, 8 February | SH | Waitangi Day Holiday |
Tuesday, 9 February | RS7 | Last submission day of March 2021 RS7s for 1 March payment |
Mid-February | EQI | New services to be advised of Equity Index assessment results and services that requested reviews |
Monday, 1 March | PMT | 01 March 2021 ECE operational funding payment |
Friday, 5 March | RS7 | Last submission day of March 2021 RS7s for 20 March payment |
Friday, 2 April | SH | Good Friday |
Monday, 5 April | SH | Easter Monday |
Monday, 26 April | SH | ANZAC Day Holiday |
Tuesday, 1 June | RS7 | July 2021 electronic RS7 submission period opens |
Monday, 7 June | SH | Queen’s Birthday |
Tuesday, 8 June | RS7 | Last submission day of July 2021 RS7s for 1 July payment |
Mid-June | EQI | New services to be advised of Equity Index assessments |
21 - 27 June | - | Annual ECE Return dates |
Wednesday, 30 June | FD | Financial declarations due for financial year end in 2020 |
Thursday, 1 July | PMT | 01 July 2021 ECE operational funding payment |
Thursday, 8 July | RS7 | Last submission day of July 2021 RS7s for 20 July payment |
Friday, 1 October | RS7 | November 2021 electronic RS7 submission period opens |
Thursday, 7 October | RS7 | Last submission day of November 2021 RS7s for 1 November payment |
Monday, 25 October | SH | Labour Day |
Monday, 1 November | PMT | 01 November 2021 ECE operational funding payment |
Monday, 8 November | RS7 | Last submission day of November 2021 RS7s for 20 November payment |
Saturday, 25 December | SH | Christmas Day |
Sunday, 26 December | SH | Boxing Day |
Indicator | Description |
---|---|
RS7 | RS7 Return funding |
SH | Statutory Holiday – NB: services cannot claim SH in advance |
EQI | Equity Index for funding(external link) |
PMT | Early Childhood operational funding payment |
FD | Financial Declaration Collection |
Further reminders on dates and important information will be advertised on education.govt.nz and in He Pānui Kōhungahunga – the Early Learning Bulletin
Financial declaration for early learning services
Before 30 June each year, services are required to submit an annual financial declaration relating to the previous financial year. This is a condition of Ministry funding and assures the Ministry that the funding is being spent appropriately. To find out more about the requirements of financial declarations, follow the link below.
Early learning service audits
The Ministry's resourcing auditors audit all early learning services to ensure that the service is receiving the correct amount of funding and to verify that the service is meeting their record keeping requirements.
The Targeted Funding for Disadvantage scheme
The fund aims to improve the affordability and quality of early learning for tamariki/children from disadvantaged backgrounds and ensure that they start school ready to learn.
Equity funding for early learning services
Equity funding provides additional targeted funding to make early learning opportunities equally available to everyone. It also helps services to raise educational achievement regardless of people's cultural background, socio-economic status or location.
The 20 Hours ECE for ECE Services funding scheme
The 20 Hours ECE for ECE Services funding scheme reduces cost barriers so that more children can benefit from participation in ECE. For every eligible child, an early learning service will receive the 20 Hours ECE funding rate instead of the usual ECE funding subsidy rate.
The Early Learning Information system
The ELI is an information system that collects and stores information on enrolment, attendance and staffing.
We will use the information collected in ELI for the purposes of:
- monitoring and ensuring student enrolment and attendance
- encouraging attendance at early childhood services
- ensuring education providers and students receive appropriate resourcing
- statistical purposes
- research purposes
- ensuring student’s educational records are accurately maintained.
You can find more information about the ELI system and National Student Numbers on the ELI Homepage(external link).
Early learning statistics
The Education Counts website(external link) displays statistics on topics including:
- the annual census of early learning services
- participation
- services
- finances
- staffing
- Māori in early learning
- Pacific Islanders in early learning.
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