Free ECE lunch programme: Fewer than half of eligible centres are participating
NEWS/ANALYSIS – 15 August 2025
Fewer than half of ECE centres that are eligible for the Government’s free lunch programme have been getting the kai in the early months of the programme, official reports indicate.
As part of its contract with the Ministry of Education, the supplier of the ECE lunch programme, KidsCan, is required to provide monthly updates on the programme’s progress.
The charity’s latest report, dated May 30, which the Office of Early Childhood Education obtained under the Official Information Act, said that 307 of the 681 “low equity” centres (childcare, free kindergartens and kōhanga reo) that had been invited to be part of the initiative were receiving food deliveries.
Centres that were missing out included many that did not respond to KidsCan’s communications (three emails and a follow up phone call) offering them a place in the programme, as well as a small number that declined because they lacked adequate kitchen facilities, and a handful of centres that were initially interested, but dropped out because of staffing constraints.
However, KidsCan reported that the programme was running smoothly at centres that have opted into it.
“Centres are reporting a range of positive impacts including improved tamariki engagement, behaviour, and learning environments, alongside increased participation, especially on days where food insecurity had previously affected attendance,” KidsCan wrote in its fifth monthly report on April 30.
A staff member at one of the centres is quoted in the May report as saying: “We have noticed a very positive impact on both the learning environment and the children’s behaviours. (We were previously a centre where about a third of our children were bringing dairy snack packs each day.) It has made a real difference, and we are very grateful for the support”.
Another gave KidsCan this feedback: “Mondays sometimes in our centre meant either tamariki didn’t come in because there wasn’t much kai at home for the lunchbox or their lunchbox had ‘creative solutions’ in them. We look forward to what Mondays now look like for our centre. Thank you for allowing us this opportunity”.
Unlike the school lunch programme Ka Ora, Ka Ako, which has been plagued by problems, no incidents related to significant health and safety events, food safety issues, incidents of food contamination (such as the presence of foreign objects or pests), media or reputation-related events, had been reported for the ECE lunch programme, according to KidsCan.
The organisation had not received any formal complaints, it said.
But the charity noted that there had been 101 “issues” in the first three months after the programme launched on March 31. These included 23 instances of deliveries being delayed or not completed and 43 occasions where items were missing from deliveries. KidsCan said these issues were always resolved quickly.
“A notable incident involved frozen produce being delivered to six centres due to a temporary refrigeration issue with a supplier vehicle. This was resolved within 24 hours through immediate replacement deliveries,” KidsCan said in its April 30 report.
A lack of kitchen equipment at ECEs was one challenge that KidsCan supported participants to overcome early on, the reports highlighted.
Before the programme began, 41 ECE centres did not have appropriate whiteware, preparation tools, serving equipment and storage containers, the March 31 report said. KidsCan dispatched these items to the relevant centers from its warehouse.
Another 27 kōhanga reo that signed up to the programmes second “wave” requested support with equipment, which they were expected to receive before their first delivery of kai.
A further challenge identified in the reports was that 29 of the kōhanga reo fell outside all of KidsCan delivery zones.
These services were receiving their food through a “click-and-collect model”.
KidsCan had given them chill bins and freezer packs to ensure fresh and frozen food was transported safely. The charity was also considering reimbursing the kōhanga for their fuel costs.
The OECE has previously reported that more than a third of centres in the first two waves of the programme were private (for-profit) businesses, despite associate minister for education David Seymour repeatedly saying that only community-based services would be eligible.
We also revealed that the Ministry consulted KidsCan when it redesigned the Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunch initiative, which raised questions about the ECE lunch programme’s procurement process.
What’s on the menu?
The April 30 report included information on the popularity of different meals offered from March 31 to May 9. (Meal options change every six weeks.)
Each meal was accompanied by 75g of fruit and 100g of yoghurt.
By far the most popular meal was Mac & Cheese with Vegetables (equating to 25% of orders).
KidsCan’s Founder and CEO Julie Chapman said she was “pleased with the progress of the ECE Food programme so far with all participating ECE’s and Kōhanga Reo receiving regular deliveries of fresh ingredients, which they then make into healthy lunches, alongside fruit and yoghurt.
“As our reporting progresses, we continue to review how we categorise operational queries that are resolved quickly, such as occasional missing items, minor food quality concerns, and refrigeration-related matters. This ensures they’re clearly distinguished from any more serious issues and complaints that may arise. No complaints or incidents have been reported to date.”
