20 Hours ECE
If your child is eligible for 20 Hours ECE then you can receive that through PAUA. As our Educators set their own rates, some have optional charges while others don’t. These will be discussed by parents, Educators and Visiting Teachers when children are enrolled, or turn 3 years old.
Further 20 Hours ECE information below is taken from the Ministry of Education website:
About 20 Hours ECE
20 Hours ECE helps reduce cost barriers so more children can benefit from quality early childhood education (ECE). 20 Hours ECE is not based on how much you earn, your residency status or whether you work outside the home. 20 Hours ECE hours cannot be carried over to another week. All eligible children at an ECE service offering 20 Hours ECE can get up to six hours a day, up to 20 hours a week of ECE for which fees cannot be charged. 20 Hours ECE starts when a child turns three and finishes when they enrol at school.
Getting 20 Hours ECE
To get 20 Hours ECE, your child must be enrolled and attending an ECE service offering 20 Hours ECE. You must decide which of the enrolled hours will be covered by 20 Hours ECE. You can select any hours as long as they are hours that your child is enrolled to attend and they do not exceed six hours a day and 20 hours a week.
You will need to complete and sign an enrolment agreement, and complete the attestation confirming the days and hours you will claim as 20 Hours ECE. The attestation is a legal document and will be included in the enrolment agreement. Your ECE service should give you this shortly before your child turns three (or when enrolling your child) and can help you complete it. If your child attends more than one eligible ECE service, you may split the hours claimed across both services, as long as:
- no more than 20 hours a week and six hours a day are being claimed
- you don’t claim the same hours twice.
Optional charges
20 Hours ECE funding is intended to cover the cost for ECE services to provide early childhood education to the regulated standards. ECE services may request Optional Charges for specific additional features above regulation, or items parents could provide for their own children. You can choose whether or not to pay Optional Charges. ECE services cannot refuse your child 20 Hours ECE if you don’t agree to pay Optional Charges.
20 Hours ECE funding is intended to cover the cost for ECE services to provide early childhood education to the regulated standards. ECE services may request Optional Charges for specific additional features above regulation, or items parents could provide for their own children. You can choose whether or not to pay Optional Charges. ECE services cannot refuse your child 20 Hours ECE if you don’t agree to pay Optional Charges.
If you agree to pay a regular Optional Charge, you are committing to continue to pay that charge, and the ECE service can enforce payment. If you do not agree to pay an Optional Charge, you are agreeing that you do not want the ECE service to provide this additional feature. The ECE service must give you opportunities to review your decision.
Donations
ECE services can also ask for a donation. This is a voluntary contribution which does not have to be for anything specific.
Other things to consider
Childcare subsidyThe Childcare Subsidy (CCS) is available through Work and Income, a service of the Ministry of Social Development. Parents and caregivers can choose between receiving CCS or 20 Hours ECE or, in some cases, a combination of both payments.
The Childcare Subsidy may not be claimed for the same hours as 20 Hours ECE. Further information on the Childcare Subsidy can be found at http://www.workingforfamilies.govt.nz/ or you can call Work and Income on 0800 559 009.
