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 2024
… certificated teachers
$12.28
$6.47
$11.65
$13.19
$6.92
$12.10
25-49% certificated teachers
$9.91
$5.16
$10.24
$10.82
$5.61
$10.69
0-24% certificated teachers
$8.48
$4.28
$9.33
$9.39
$4.73
$9.78
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$15.48
$8.99
$14.39
$15.48
$8.99
$15.03
80-99% certificated teachers
$14.87
$8.17
$13.61
$14.87
$8.17
$14.22
50-79%…
… certificated teachers
$12.71
$6.70
$12.06
$13.62
$7.16
$12.52
25-49% certificated teachers
$10.25
$5.34
$10.60
$11.16
$5.80
$11.06
0-24% certificated teachers
$8.77
$4.44
$9.66
$9.68
$4.90
$10.12
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$16.00
$9.31
$14.89
$16.00
$9.31
$15.55
80-99% certificated teachers
$15.36
$8.46
$14.09
$15.36
$8.46
$14.72
50-79%…
… certificated teachers
$13.77
$7.26
$13.07
$14.68
$7.71
$13.52
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.10
$5.79
$11.48
$12.01
$6.24
$11.93
0-24% certificated teachers
$9.50
$4.81
$10.47
$10.41
$5.26
$10.92
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$17.25
$10.04
$16.08
$17.25
$10.04
$16.80
80-99% certificated teachers
$16.56
$9.12
$15.22
$16.56
$9.12
$15.90
50…
… certificated teachers
$14.09
$7.47
$13.37
$15.87
$8.36
$14.26
25-49% certificated teachers
$11.32
$5.93
$11.68
$13.10
$6.82
$12.57
0-24% certificated teachers
$9.63
$4.89
$10.63
$11.41
$5.78
$11.52
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$18.24
$10.53
$16.61
$18.24
$10.53
$17.33
80-99% certificated teachers
$17.63
$9.72
$15.84
$17.63
$9.72
$16.53
50…
… certificated teachers
$10.96
$4.89
$6.39
$11.87
$5.34
$6.84
25-49% certificated teachers
$8.93
$4.20
$5.65
$9.84
$4.65
$6.10
0-24% certificated teachers
$7.79
$3.78
$5.23
$8.70
$4.23
$5.68
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$14.27
$7.08
$8.49
$14.27
$7.08
$8.86
80-99% certificated teachers
$13.32
$6.08
$7.70
$13.32
$6.08
$8.03
50-79% certifica…
… certificated teachers
$11.35
$5.06
$6.62
$12.26
$5.52
$7.08
25-49% certificated teachers
$9.25
$4.35
$5.85
$10.16
$4.81
$6.31
0-24% certificated teachers
$8.06
$3.91
$5.41
$8.97
$4.37
$5.87
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$14.74
$7.32
$8.78
$14.74
$7.32
$9.16
80-99% certificated teachers
$13.76
$6.28
$7.95
$13.76
$6.28
$8.29
50-79% certifica…
… certificated teachers
$12.29
$5.48
$7.17
$13.20
$5.93
$7.62
25-49% certificated teachers
$10.02
$4.71
$6.34
$10.93
$5.16
$6.79
0-24% certificated teachers
$8.73
$4.23
$5.86
$9.64
$4.68
$6.31
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$15.89
$7.89
$9.46
$15.89
$7.89
$9.87
80-99% certificated teachers
$14.83
$6.77
$8.57
$14.83
$6.77
$8.94
50-79% certific…
… certificated teachers
$12.58
$5.64
$7.33
$14.36
$6.53
$8.22
25-49% certificated teachers
$10.20
$4.83
$6.44
$11.98
$5.72
$7.33
0-24% certificated teachers
$8.85
$4.32
$5.96
$10.63
$5.21
$6.85
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$16.87
$8.37
$9.95
$16.87
$8.37
$10.37
80-99% certificated teachers
$15.89
$7.33
$9.12
$15.89
$7.33
$9.50
50-79% certif…
… $6.45
$12.20
0-24% certificated teachers
$10.46
$5.31
$11.05
$10.67
$5.41
$11.15
Sessional-100% certificated teachers
$17.34
$8.71
$10.33
$17.55
$8.81
$10.43
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 December 2023
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 March 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
100% certificated teachers
$17.97
$10.37
$16.35
$18.43
$10.62
$16.70
$18.43
$10.62
$17.53
80-99% certificated teache…
Table 10: Rates for all day teacher-led home-based ECE services from 1 January 2023.
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2023
Rates from 1 January 2024
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Quality
$9.41
$5.05
$10.51
$9.91
$5.32
$11.07
Standard
$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 fun…
… purposes) from 1 January 2023.
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 hours ECE
Quality
$13.77
$8.96
$13.17
Standard
$12.56
$8.37
$12.67
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
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…
From 1 January 2024:For standard-funded licences:
60% of educators in a standard funded licence must hold a home-based service qualification.
There are no qualification requirements for the remaining educators.
For quality-funded licences:
80% of educators in a quality funded licence must hold a required qualification.
Up to 20% can either be in induction (first 6 months on the quality licence) or enrolled in training (up to a further 2 years, or 4 years if they are working towards an ECE teac…
… playcentres from 1 January 2023.
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2023
Under 2
2 and over
20 Hours ECE
Quality
$10.23
$5.14
$6.38
Standard
$8.95
$4.50
$5.74
$ per funded child hour (including GST)
Rates from 1 January 2024
Rates from 1 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 20…
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…
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
… 5 credits towards a required qualification at Level 4 or above
[Partial]
1 January 2021
30%
20%
All remaining educators (0-70%)
1 June 2022
50%
20%
All remaining educators (0-50%)
1 January 2023
70%
20%
All remaining educators (0-30%)
1 January 2024
80%
20%
This category no longer applies
^ Educators who do not yet have credits towards a required qualification.
Educators who join a quality funded licence without a completed qualification can only remain in induction for a maximum of 6 mo…