It enables ECE services to provide early childhood education to 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds for up to a maximum of 6 hours per day for 20 hours per week per child without charging fees.

Funding cycle

20 Hours ECE is paid at the same time as the ECE Funding Subsidy – on the first working day of March, July and November.

For more information on when and how funding is paid, see Section 2-4.

2-4: When and how funding is paid

In this chapter

This chapter contains the following topics:

Funding eligibility: 4-1

Funding conditions: 4-2

Fees, donations, optional charges and home-based educator top up payments: 4-3

Record-keeping requirements: 4-4

Beginning and ceasing to offer 20 Hours ECE funding: 4-5

The EC20 Form (Section removed and replaced with 7-9 in April 2015): 4-6