Funding Rates for Early Childhood Education Services in New Zealand 2026
Services need to understand funding rates so they can plan their budgets, staffing, and resources properly. They can share the funding rate tables with parents to communicate transparently about the funding their service receives.
Funding is provided by the Government and paid by the Ministry of Education to
- Kindergarten association kindergartens
- All-day education and care centres and hospital-based services (which are not operated by kindergarten associations)
- Sessional education and care centres and hospital-based services
- Te Kōhanga Reo
- Home-based services
- Playcentres
- Playgroups
Types of funding subsidies and grants
The government subsidises up to 30 hours per week of education and care per child. Where eligible, part of these hours may be covered by the higher 20-Hour ECE funding.
In addition to core funding rates, there is:
- Equity funding
- Targeted funding for disadvantage
Teacher Pay Scale
To view teacher pay scales in relation to a service’s funding rates visit: ECE teacher pay parity salary scales.
Support for Families
- Donations and tax credits: If your ECE service is a charitable organisation, visit the Inland Revenue website to learn more. Families may also be eligible for the FamilyBoost tax credit.
- WINZ childcare subsidy: Click here for subsidy information and rates.
- Fees and other costs: Click here for details on fees and charges.
Important Note on GST
When viewing funding in the Ministry’s Pourato portal, the rates are displayed as GST‑exclusive. This does not affect the actual funding received by GST‑registered services.
Since we are not aware of any ECE services that are not GST‑registered, the tables below present the full funding rates as GST‑inclusive.
Homebased ECE funding rates
Home-based services are required to employ a person responsible/ co-ordinator for every 50 children who is ECE qualified and holds a current practising certificate. A service licenced for 51 children must have 2 qualified and certificated teachers.
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | RATES FROM 1 JULY 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| $10.32 | $5.54 | $12.04 | |
Kindergartens Operating under a Free Kindergarten Association
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | RATES FROM 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | $20.76 | $11.86 | $19.01 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | $20.13 | $11.02 | $18.16 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | $18.54 | $9.72 | $16.69 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | $15.56 | $8.06 | $14.79 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | $13.75 | $6.97 | $13.63 |
| Sessional Kindergarten with 100% certificated teachers (A service where no child attends for more than 4 hours in total on any 1 day) | $21.11 | $10.58 | $12.80 |
All-day Education and Care Centres & Hospital-Based ECE Services (A service where children can attend for more than 4 hours on any 1 day)
Full Pay Parity funding rates (all-day centres – children can attend more than 4 hours on any one day)
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | $18.96 | $10.96 | $18.03 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | $18.34 | $10.11 | $17.19 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | $16.77 | $8.83 | $15.73 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | $13.83 | $7.20 | $13.87 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | $12.03 | $6.11 | $12.68 |
Extended Pay Steps 1 – 11 + Management (children can attend more than 4 hours on any one day)
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | $17.95 | $10.44 | $17.48 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | $17.23 | $9.49 | $16.54 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | $15.69 | $8.25 | $15.10 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | $12.82 | $6.68 | $13.32 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | $11.12 | $5.62 | $12.20 |
Pay Steps 1 – 6 only funding rates (children can attend more than 4 hours on any one day)
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | $16.64 | $9.68 | $16.18 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | $15.99 | $8.80 | $15.32 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | $14.56 | $7.66 | $13.98 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | $11.93 | $6.20 | $12.35 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | $10.34 | $5.23 | $11.30 |
Pay Step 1 only or no pay step (children can attend more than 4 hours on any one day)
An education and care service or hospital-based service that does not attest to paying all employed certificated teachers at least the amount specified at Step 1 of the salary scale is funded at the 0-24% base funding rate.
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | $16.11 | $9.35 | $15.64 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | $15.48 | $8.50 | $14.79 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | $14.10 | $7.41 | $13.51 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | $11.56 | $6.00 | $11.93 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | $10.03 | $5.05 | $10.91 |
Sessional Education and Care Centres and Hospital-Based Services (A service where no child attends for more than 4 hours in total on any 1 day)
Full Pay Parity
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20 Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | 17.56 | 8.71 | 10.80 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | 16.54 | 7.64 | 9.89 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | 15.16 | 6.90 | 9.03 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | 12.64 | 6.04 | 8.05 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | 11.21 | 5.50 | 7.52 |
Extended Pay Steps 1 – 11 + Management
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | 16.54 | 8.22 | 10.27 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | 15.43 | 7.05 | 9.30 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | 14.11 | 6.34 | 8.50 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | 11.67 | 5.52 | 7.57 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | 10.29 | 4.99 | 7.04 |
Pay Steps 1 – 6 only funding rates
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | $15.33 | $7.62 | $9.52 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | $14.32 | $6.53 | $8.63 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | $13.10 | $5.90 | $7.89 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | $10.86 | $5.14 | $7.04 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | $9.57 | $4.66 | $6.54 |
Base Funding rates – Pay Step 1 only or no pay step (Sessional)
An education and care service or hospital-based service that does not attest to paying all employed certificated teachers at least the amount specified at Step 1 of the salary scale is funded at the 0 – 24% base funding rate
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| 100% certificated teachers | 14.85 | 7.36 | 9.22 |
| 80-99% certificated teachers | 13.87 | 6.33 | 8.36 |
| 50-79% certificated teachers | 12.67 | 5.70 | 7.64 |
| 25-49% certificated teachers | 10.51 | 4.97 | 6.80 |
| 0-24% certificated teachers | 9.29 | 4.52 | 6.33 |
Te Kōhanga Reo
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| Quality | $15.09 | $9.82 | $15.09 |
| Standard | $13.77 | $9.18 | $14.52 |
Playcentre funding rates
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 | ||
| Under 2-years | 2-years and older | 20-Hours ECE | |
| Quality | $12.86 | $6.45 | $8.41 |
| Standard | $11.24 | $5.64 | $7.54 |
Playgroup funding rates
| $ PER HOUR PER CHILD HOUR (gst incl.). The rates have not increased since 1 Jan 2020 | UNDER 2 | 2 AND OVER | 20 HOURS ECE |
| Playgroups | $1.83 | $1.83 | N/A |
Equity funding rates
| EQUITY FUNDING (gst incl.) | Rates from 1 July 2026 |
| Equity Funding A: Low Socio Economic (per funded child hour) | |
| EQI 1 | $1.18 |
| EQI 2 | $0.92 |
| EQI 3 | $0.53 |
| EQI 4 | $0.24 |
| Equity Funding B: Special Needs Funding (per funded child hour) | |
| EQI 1 | $0.56 |
| EQI 2 | $0.37 |
| EQI 3 | $0.23 |
| EQI 4 | $0.21 |
| Equity Funding Component C: Language (monthly) | |
| Language | $484.06 |
| Equity Funding Component D: Isolation (monthly) | |
| 1.65 to 1.83 | $117.78 |
| 1.84 to 2.53 | $177.36 |
| 2.54 and greater | $342.25 |
Targeted Funding for Child Disadvantage
| $ PER TARGETED HOUR (gst incl.) | RATE FROM 1 MARCH 2025 and unchanged in 2026 |
| Eligible services | $0.41 |
This will increase form $0.41 cents per hour to $0.43 cents per hour from 1 March 2027.
