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 – New Zealand 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 more 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 2025
… certificated teachers
$13.55
$7.11
$12.44
$13.55
$7.11
$12.99
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.11
$5.76
$10.99
$11.11
$5.76
$11.47
0-24% certificated teachers
$9.64
$4.85
$10.05
$9.64
$4.85
$10.49
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$15.79
$9.17
$15.33
80-99% certificated teachers
$15.17
$8.33
$14.50
50-79% certificated teachers
$13.82
$7.25
$13.25
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.33
$5.88
$11.70
0…
… certificated teachers
$13.99
$7.36
$12.87
$13.99
$7.36
$13.44
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.46
$5.96
$11.37
$11.46
$5.96
$11.87
0-24% certificated teachers
$9.94
$5.03
$10.40
$9.94
$5.03
$10.86
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$16.32
$9.50
$15.86
80-99% certificated teachers
$15.67
$8.63
$15.01
50-79% certificated teachers
$14.27
$7.51
$13.71
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.69
$6.08
$12.1…
… teachers
$15.08
$7.92
$13.90
$15.08
$7.92
$14.52
25-49% certificated teachers
$12.33
$6.41
$12.26
$12.33
$6.41
$12.80
0-24% certificated teachers
$10.69
$5.40
$11.23
$10.69
$5.40
$11.73
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$17.60
$10.24
$17.14
80-99% certificated teachers
$16.89
$9.30
$16.22
50-79% certificated teachers
$15.38
$8.08
$14.81
25-49% certificated teachers
$12.58
$6.54
$13.06
0-24% certi…
… teachers
$16.11
$8.49
$14.49
$16.11
$8.49
$15.12
25-49% certificated teachers
$13.29
$6.92
$12.77
$13.29
$6.92
$13.32
0-24% certificated teachers
$11.57
$5.86
$11.70
$11.57
$5.86
$12.20
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$18.60
$10.74
$17.68
80-99% certificated teachers
$17.98
$9.91
$16.86
50-79% certificated teachers
$16.43
$8.66
$15.42
25-49% certificated teachers
$13.56
$7.06
$13.59
0-24% certi…
… certificated teachers
$12.19
$5.48
$7.03
$12.19
$5.48
$7.33
25-49% certificated teachers
$10.10
$4.77
$6.26
$10.10
$4.77
$6.53
0-24% certificated teachers
$8.93
$4.34
$5.83
$8.93
$4.34
$6.08
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$14.56
$7.22
$9.04
80-99% certificated teachers
$13.59
$6.20
$8.19
50-79% certificated teachers
$12.43
$5.59
$7.48
25-49% certificated teachers
$10.30
$4.87
$6.66
0-24…
… certificated teachers
$12.59
$5.67
$7.27
$12.59
$5.67
$7.58
25-49% certificated teachers
$10.43
$4.94
$6.48
$10.43
$4.94
$6.76
0-24% certificated teachers
$9.20
$4.48
$6.03
$9.20
$4.48
$6.29
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$15.03
$7.47
$9.34
80-99% certificated teachers
$14.04
$6.41
$8.46
50-79% certificated teachers
$12.84
$5.78
$7.73
25-49% certificated teachers
$10.64
$5.04
$6.90 …
… certificated teachers
$13.56
$6.09
$7.83
$13.56
$6.09
$8.17
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.22
$5.30
$6.97
$11.22
$5.30
$7.27
0-24% certificated teachers
$9.89
$4.80
$6.48
$9.89
$4.80
$6.76
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$16.21
$8.05
$10.07
80-99% certificated teachers
$15.13
$6.91
$9.12
50-79% certificated teachers
$13.83
$6.21
$8.33
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.44
$5.41
$7.42 …
… certificated teachers
$14.57
$6.63
$8.34
$14.57
$6.63
$8.68
25-49% certificated teachers
$12.15
$5.80
$7.44
$12.15
$5.80
$7.74
0-24% certificated teachers
$10.78
$5.28
$6.95
$10.78
$5.28
$7.23
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$17.21
$8.54
$10.58
80-99% certificated teachers
$16.21
$7.48
$9.69
50-79% certificated teachers
$14.86
$6.76
$8.85
25-49% certificated teachers
$12.39
$5.92
$7.8…
… $13.89
$7.21
$13.61
$14.69
$7.62
$14.02
0-24% certificated teachers
$12.17
$6.15
$12.49
$12.97
$6.56
$12.90
Sessional-100% certificated teachers
$19.17
$9.61
$11.72
$19.97
$10.02
$12.13
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$20.03
$11.45
$18.39
80-99% certificated teachers
$19.41
$10.63
$17.57
50-79% certificated teachers
$17.86
$9.37
$16.14
25-49% certificated teachers
$14.98
$7.77
$14.…
… $7.48
$4.05
$9.00
$7.88
$4.26
$9.48
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Quality
$9.91
$5.32
$11.58
Standard
$7.88
$4.26
$9.92
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Quality
$10.11
$5.43
$11.81
Standard
$8.04
$4.35
$10.12
… Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Quality
$14.50
$9.43
$13.87
$14.50
$9.43
$14.51
Standard
$13.23
$8.81
$13.34
$13.23
$8.81
$13.95
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Quality
$14.79
$9.62
$14.80
Standard
$13.49
$8.99
$14.23
… March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Quality
$10.77
$5.41
$6.72
$10.77
$5.41
$7.03
Standard
$9.42
$4.74
$6.04
$9.42
$4.74
$6.32
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 July 2024
Rates from 1 January 2025
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Quality
$11.62
$5.84
$7.59
$11.84
$5.95
$7.73
Standard
$10.16
$5.11
$6.82
$10.35
$5.20
$6.95
Table 14: Equity Funding rates for eligible services from 1 January 2023.
Equity Funding Rates (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 January 2025
Equity Funding Component A: Low Socio Economic (per funded child hour)
EQI 1
$1.09
$1.15
$1.17
EQI 2
$0.84
$0.88
$0.90
EQI 3
$0.48
$0.51
$0.52
EQI 4
$0.23
$0.24
$0.24
Equity Funding Component B: Special Needs Funding (per funded child hour)
EQI 1
$0.51
$0.54
$0.55
EQI 2
$0.32
$0.3…
… the service might be eligible to apply for quality funding. Note that the limits on the amount of time an educator may be in the ‘unqualified – induction’ and ‘unqualified – in training’ categories are not applicable to standard-funded services until 2025.
Where there has been a change in categorisation from the previous month, such as an educator achieving a qualification, the reason should be indicated on the monthly record.
Monthly records must be verified by a representative of the servic…
Table 15: Targeted funding for disadvantage rate for eligible services from 1 March 2023.
$ per targeted hour (including GST)
Rate from 1 March 2023
Rate from 1 March 2024
Rate from 1 March 2025
Eligible services
$0.38$
$0.40
$0.41
The percentage qualification requirements for the quality funding rate will change each year until 1 January 2025 when there will only be one funding rate for home-based education and care.
The table below outlines the scheduled changes.
Date requirement is effective
Minimum percentage of educators with a required qualification
[Full/Qualified]
Maximum percentage of educators able to be in training or induction^
[Unqualified]
Educators with at least 5 credits towards a required qualifica…
The following sections outline the quality rate requirements in place from 1 January 2021 until 31 December 2023. They will remain here for information purposes until the next phase of transition on 1 January 2025. Services may still be audited on periods covered by these requirements so should ensure they have compiled at all relevant times.
