How much does it cost to enrol a child in Early Childhood Education (ECE)?
What are the conditions around the 20 hours free ECE?
How do I apply for the 20 hours ECE?
I enrolled my child at a day-care centre and paid fees in advance, but I’m not happy with the centre. Can I get a refund?
How much does it cost to enrol a child in Early Childhood Education (ECE)?
The course and application fees vary, although the quality of childcare and other factors are likely to be much more important to you than small variations in cost. Some ECE providers have a non-refundable application fee - this means you don’t get the fee back, even if you change your mind. The provider should always warn you about this before you sign up.
So, look around and get a couple of quotes from different providers that you’re interested in. We have a guide to picking the right childcare option here. For information on other factors important in choosing an Early Childhood Education service see below.
What are the conditions around the 20 Hours Free Early Childhood Education (20 Hours ECE) scheme?
The 20 Hours ECE scheme can make early childhood education more affordable for families. It is available for all families regardless of their income and working hours. The funding is paid directly from the Ministry of Education to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) provider. As a parent, you have the choice of up to 20 Hours ECE if your child is eligible and is attending an ECE service which participates in the scheme. To be eligible your child must be aged 3, 4 or 5 and attending a teacher-led early childhood education service, for example kindergarten, day care, kohanga reo, playcentres or home-based service.
Not all ECE providers offer the 20 Hours ECE, so check with your ECE provider.
Eligible children can receive up to six hours a day, 20 hours per week free childcare. If your child is receiving the 20 Hours ECE, then your childcare service can’t charge fees for those hours, but they can ask you to pay an optional charge– this helps cover the cost of running the childcare service, without forcing parents to pay fees for entry. You can choose to pay the optional charge– you don’t have to if you don’t want to.
Some children who are eligible for the 20 Hours ECE are also eligible for different levels of childcare subsidies, which will be paid to the childcare provider. Work and Income New Zealand has more information about the different types of subsidies:
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How do I apply for 20 Hours Free ECE?
To apply for 20 Hours Free ECE
- if your child is currently enrolled at an ECE service, ask if they offer, or plan to offer, 20 hours ECE
- if your child is not at an ECE service, you can search for one
- if your ECE service offers the scheme, you need to complete an enrolment agreement to enter the subsidy scheme. As well as the enrolment agreement, you have to state which days and hours you want to claim as part of the scheme – you can select any days and hours you want, as long as it doesn’t add up to more than six hours a day, and 20 hours a week
If your child goes to more than one eligible ECE service, you can split the hours you want to claim across both services, as long as:
- it does not add up to more than 20 hours a week and six hours a day
- you don’t claim the same hours twice
You can find out more information through
I enrolled my child at a day-care centre and paid fees in advance, but I’m not happy with the centre. Can I get a refund?
This depends on whether you have a written contract with the day-care centre and why you’ve changed your mind. Firstly, if you have a contract, it should set out what to do if you’re unhappy with the services.
If you feel you should be able to get a refund contact the day-care centre about it. If you can’t come to a compromise, or are unhappy with the solution they offer you, call your local CAB office on 0800 367 222 for more advice on your specific situation.