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

7-3 Estimating the proportion of Certificated Teacher Hours (teacher-led centre-based services)

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  • Introduction
    • This section provides additional details on estimating the proportion of Certificated Teacher Hours for an ECE service (for teacher-led centre-based education and care services only).

  • Proportion of Certificated Teachers
    • New teacher-led centre-based services must estimate the number of Certificated Teacher Hours and Other Teacher Hours for the first five months the service is open and operating.

      See Section 3-B-2 for information on Certificated and Other Teacher Hours.

  • Caution when estimating
    • It is critical that your estimated proportion of certificated teachers is as accurate as possible.

      If your initial funding rate is higher than your actual teacher hour entitlement, you may receive a significantly reduced wash-up payment.

      If your initial funding rate is lower than your actual teacher hour entitlement your advance funding may not adequately subsidise the cost of employing a larger proportion of certificated teachers.

  • Help with estimating
    • The following page provides an example of how to estimate your proportion of certificated teachers.

      Contact your Ministry regional office for further assistance.

      Use this example to see how you can estimate the proportion of certificated teachers for your service:

      If your service operates a mixture of All-Day and Sessional days, you will have to estimate the proportion of certificated teachers for both separately.

      StepActionExampleExample Calculation
      1

      Calculate the number of staff your service will need each day to meet your ratio requirements over the next five months.

      This is your regulated (ratio) staff.

      Kowhai Street Childcare Centre needs three staff members to meet their licensed maximum ratio requirements.

      They have employed six staff members to ensure their ratio requirements are met at all times.

      Only three staff members will be counted towards regulated (ratio) staff at any one time.

      3
      2

      Add up the number of hours that certificated teachers will be working on each day – when they are being counted as regulated (ratio) staff.

      These are your Certificated Teacher Hours

      Kowhai Street has two certificated teachers.

      Each certificated teacher will be counted towards regulated (ratio) staff for eight hours of each day. 

      8+8 = 16 Certificated Teacher Hours per day 
      3 Multiply your answer in step 2 by the number of operating days in each of the following five months.  Kowhai Street opened in July. They must complete their RS3 Form for:
      • July – 22 operating days
      • August – 22 operating days
      • September – 22 operating days
      • October – 22 operating days
      • November – 22 operating days. 

      July = 22 operating days x 16 Certificated Teacher Hours = 352

      August = 22 operating days x 16 Certificated Teacher Hours = 352

      September = 22 operating days x 16 Certificated Teacher Hours = 352

      October = 22 operating days x 16 Certificated Teacher Hours = 352

      November = 22 operating days x 16 Certificated Teacher Hours = 352

      Total Certificated Teacher Hours = 352+352+352+352+352 = 1760 

      4

      Add up the number of hours that Other Teachers will be working on any day – when they are being counted as regulated (ratio) staff.

      These are your Other Teacher Hours

      Kowhai St. has four teachers counted as Other Teachers:
      • One teacher will be counted for eight hours each day.
      • One will be counted for four hours of each day.
      • Two will be counted for one hour of each day. 
      8+4+1+1= 14 Other Teacher Hours per day 
      5 Multiply your answer in step 4 by the number of operating days in each of the following five months.  Kowhai St opened in July. They must complete their RS3 Form for:
      • July – 22 operating days
      • August – 22 operating days
      • September – 22 operating days
      • October – 22 operating days
      • November – 22 operating days.

      July = 22 operating days x 14 Other Teacher Hours = 308

      August = 22 operating days x 14 Other Teacher Hours = 308

      September = 22 operating days x 14 Other Teacher Hours = 308

      October = 22 operating days x 14 Other Teacher Hours = 308

      November = 22 operating days x 14 Other Teacher Hours = 308

      Total Other Teacher Hours = 308+308+308+308+308 = 1540. 

      6

      Add your answers from step 3 and step 5 together.

      This is your total regulated (ratio) staff hours. 

        1760 Certificated Teacher Hours + 1540 Other Teacher Hours = 3300 regulated (ratio) staff hours. 
      7 Divide your answer in step 3 by your answer in step 6.    1760 Certificated Teacher Hours / 3300 regulated (ratio) staff hours = 0.53. 
      8

      Multiply your answer from Step 7 by 100.

      This is your proportion of Certificated Teacher Hours. 

        0.53 x 100 = 53%. 
      9

      Write your answer in the ‘Proportion of Certificated Teachers’ box of your RS3 Form.

      Kowhai Street writes 53% on their RS3 Form.