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

9-4 Calculating the Staff Hour Count

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  • Introduction
    • This section explains how you can transfer the Certificated and Other Teacher hour information from your Early Childhood Staff Record to your RS7 Return.

  • See also
    • Use the table below to find other information referred to in this section:

      TopicSection
      Certificated teachers 3-B-2
      Certificated Teacher Hours 3-B-2
      Certificated (ratio) staff 3-B-2
      Staff Record 3-B-2
      Example Staff Record Appendix 2
  • Mixed and all-day kindergartens
    • The Staff Hour Count must be completed by all kindergartens that operate all-day.

      Kindergartens that operate a mixture of all-day and sessional must complete the Staff Hour Count for the days that they operate as all-day.

  • Step 1: daily Certificated Teacher Hours
    • Follow the steps below to calculate the daily actual Certificated Teacher Hours for your service:

      StepAction
      1 For the first day of the funding period, use your Staff Record to total the actual hours worked by ECE qualified certificated and New Zealand qualified certificated primary teachers who were being counted towards regulated (ratio) staff.
      2

      Round the total to the nearest hour.

      For example: 68 hours and 30 minutes would be rounded to 69 hours whereas 68 hours and 29 minutes would be rounded to 68 hours.

      3 Write the total in the column labelled “yes”, in the box for the first day of the funding period. 
      4 Repeat steps 1-3 for each day in the first month of the funding period. 
  • Step 1: all-day example
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      On 1 September, Rimu Road Crèche had two registered teachers (Hine and Susan) working. Hine was counted towards regulated (ratio) staff for 7 hours and 35 minutes. Susan was counted towards regulated ratio staff for 4 hours.

      11 hours and 35 minutes can be rounded to 12 hours.

      Romu road creche.

  • Step 1: sessional example
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      On 1 September, Moana Valley Preschool held two sessions. At the morning session, two certificated teachers (Chris and Leilani) were working. Each counted towards regulated (ratio) staff for 3 hours.

      At the afternoon session, one certificated teacher (Leilani) was working. Leilani was counted towards regulated (ratio) staff for a further 3 hours.

      Moana Valley Preschool had 9 Certificated Teacher Hours for 1 September.

      Moana Valley Preschool had 9 Certificated Teacher Hours for 1 September.

  • Step 2: daily Other Teacher Hours
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      Repeat the formula from Step 1 for the hours worked by Other Teachers who were being counted towards regulated (ratio) staff.

      Write the total in the column labelled “No”, in the box for the first day of the funding period.

      Repeat for each day in the first month of the funding period.

      Moana Valley Preschool.  

  • Step 3: monthly Certificated Teacher Hours
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      Add together all the Certificated Teacher Hours in the column labelled ‘yes’ for the first month of the funding period.

      Write the total in the box labelled “Total” at the bottom of the “Yes” column.

  • Step 4: monthly Other Teacher Hours
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      Add together all the Other Teacher Hours in the column labelled “No” for the first month of the funding period.

      Only count Other Teacher Hours required to meet the regulated (ratio) staff requirements.

      Write the total in the box labelled “Total” at the bottom of the “No” column.

  • Step 5: complete the rest of the RS7 Return
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      Repeat steps 1 to 4 for each month in the funding period.

      The Ministry will calculate the proportion of Certificated Teacher Hours and determine the funding rate for your service.

  • Tip
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      You may like to calculate the proportion of Certificated Teacher Hours in advance of receiving your funding advice notice. The calculation is:

       

                     Total Certificated Teacher Hours for the four month period (rounded) 
      _________________________________________________________________________     x 100

      Total Certificated Teacher Hours + Other Teacher Hours for the four month period (rounded)