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Ministry of Education New Zealand

What a funding claim audit is

If you run a licensed early learning service, we may audit your service. We do this to check you are receiving the right amount of funding and keeping the required records to support your funding claims. Audits are a condition of the funding your service receives.

We will contact you if your service is being audited to let you know when the auditor will visit and the documentation we will need.

During the visit, one of our resourcing auditors will review your RS7 funding claim and supporting documents. At the end of the visit, the auditor will talk to you about the audit results. An audit report will then be sent to you.

If we find that your service has been incorrectly funded, an adjustment will be made in the next funding cycle.

What you need to do

The auditor will usually visit your service for a full day, and you'll need to provide:

  • a quiet space for the auditor to work
  • a staff member who can answer the auditor's questions
  • access to the electronic records
  • the documents listed in the audit visit letter.

What documentation you will need

The audit will look at a selected RS7 reporting period, so you’ll need records that cover that timeframe. These include:

  • enrolment records
  • attendance registers
  • staff records
  • teacher qualifications, registration and practising certificates
  • any other information the auditor requests.

If your service offers 20 hours ECE, you’ll also need to provide:

  • 20 hours ECE attestation records
  • records of fees, optional charges and donations
  • Work and Income statements.

Home-based services

If you run a home-based service, you’ll need to provide some extra information, including:

  • a list of educators and the names and addresses of the children in their care (including their own children if they are under 6 years of age)
  • copies of the educators' qualifications
  • confirmation of study for educators in training
  • a record of the hours the service's coordinators have worked and their signed timesheets.

Request a review of the audit report

You can request a review of any findings in the audit report. You have 20 working days from the date of the written report to make this request. Send the request to:

Email: [email protected]

The review process is managed by the Monitoring Manager who may ask for more information and will provide a written response.

Mōhiohio anōMore information

Go to the ECE Funding Handbook for more information.

11-2 Funding claim audits and record keeping audits – Education in New Zealand

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