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

6-8 The Frequent Absence Rule - examples

A symbol.  Books.  Checklist.

  • Introduction
    • This section illustrates how the Frequent Absence Rule can be applied in the three different situations outlined in the previous section.

      These are not the only situations where the Frequent Absence Rule should be applied.

  • Example key
    • Use the key below to understand the shading and letters used in the example:

      Grey box.   Days the child was not enrolled to attend. 
      White box.   Days the child was enrolled to attend. 
      Tick box.   Days the child attended their normal enrolled hours. 
      Letter A in a box  Days the child was enrolled to attend and was absent
  • Example 1 – absence on a particular day
    • Kristen is enrolled to attend an early childhood service five days a week.

      Below is the August attendance register for Kristen:

      August attendance register.

      The Frequent Absence problem is...The early childhood service must...Funding may be claimed for...Funding may not be claimed for...
      Kristen was absent for more than half of the Fridays in August. monitor Kristen’s attendance in September and if Kristen is absent for more than half of the Fridays in September, her enrolment agreement will need to be reconfirmed at the end of September.
      • Kristen’s enrolled hours in August and September and
      • Kristen’s enrolled hours in October if
        • her attendance pattern returns to normal in October or
        • Kristen’s enrolment agreement is changed or reconfirmed.
      Kristen’s Friday absences in October if she continued to be absent for more than half of the Fridays in September and her enrolment agreement is not reconfirmed or changed. 
  • Example key
    • Use the key below to understand the shading and letters used in the example:

      Grey box.   Days the child was not enrolled to attend. 
      White box.   Days the child was enrolled to attend. 
      Tick box.   Days the child attended his or her normal enrolled hours. 
      Box with number 6.   Days the child attended for fewer hours than enrolled (and the number of hours the child attended). 
      Box with hexagonal pattern.   Days in the previous or following month.
  • Example 2 – Fewer hours per day
    • Sione is enrolled to attend an early childhood centre for four hours a day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

      Below is the number of hours Sione attended each day during November:

      Chart showing Siones hours.

      The Frequent Absence problem is...The early childhood service must...Funding may be claimed for...Funding may not be claimed for...
      Sione has attended for fewer than 4 hours a day on more than half of his enrolled days in November. monitor Sione’s attendance in December and if Sione attends for fewer than 4 hours on more than half of his enrolled days in December, Sione’s enrolment agreement will need to be reconfirmed at the end of December. Sione’s enrolled hours in November and December and Sione’s enrolled hours in January if
      • his attendance pattern returns to normal in December or
      • his enrolment agreement is reconfirmed or changed.
      the hours Sione was absent in January if he continued to attend for less than 4 hours per enrolled day on more than half of his enrolled days in December and his enrolment agreement is not reconfirmed or changed.
  • Example key
    • Use the key below to understand the shading and letters used in the example:

      Grey box. Days the child was not enrolled to attend. 
      White box.   Days the child was enrolled to attend. 
      Tick box.   Days the child attended their normal enrolled hours. 
      Letter A in a box.   Days the child was enrolled to attend and was absent
      Box with hexagonal pattern. Days in the following month. 
  • Example 3 – fewer days per week
    • Vijay is enrolled to attend an early childhood centre for five days a week.

      Below is the February attendance register for Vijay:

      Vijays attendance register chart.
       

      The Frequent Absence problem is...The early childhood service must...Funding may be claimed for...Funding may not be claimed for...
      Vijay has attended for fewer than five days a week in more than half of the weeks in February. monitor Vijay’s attendance in March and if Vijay does not attend for five days a week for more than half of the weeks in March, his enrolment agreement will need to be reconfirmed at the end of March. Vijay’s enrolled hours in February and March and Vijay’s enrolled hours in April if
      • his attendance pattern returned to normal in March or
      • his enrolment agreement is reconfirmed or changed.
      Vijay’s absences in April if he continues to attend less than five days a week for more than half of the weeks in March and his enrolment agreement is not reconfirmed or changed.