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Childcare Assistance Programme : Contents

20 Hours Early Childhood Education and Childcare Subsidy

Children aged 3, 4 and 5 years old attending early childhood education services (kindergartens, centre based, home-based, kōhanga reo and playcentres) offering 20 Hours Early Childhood Education (ECE) may be able to get up to 6 hours per day, 20 hours per week of subsidised early childhood education.

Generally, clients eligible for Childcare Subsidy will be better off getting 20 Hours ECE when their provider offers it.

This is because 20 Hours ECE fully funds early childhood education for up to 20 hours a week.

Childcare Subsidy helps pay for childcare up to a maximum amount per hour, meaning clients may still have costs to pay after the subsidy is paid.

However, clients can choose to take up either:

  • 20 Hours ECE only or
  • Childcare Subsidy if they qualify or
  • a combination of both, but generally not for the same hours

When a client takes up 20 Hours ECE

  • They can get Childcare Subsidy for any other hours not covered by 20 Hours ECE up to a combined total of 9 hours or 50 hours depending on their activities.
  • Childcare Subsidy cannot be paid for the same hours that 20 Hours ECE is paid except when home-based educator top-up payments are charged for those hours.

Client does not take up 20 Hours ECE

If a client is enrolled with a provider that does not offer 20 Hours ECE or the client chooses not to take up 20 Hours ECE, they can apply for Childcare Subsidy under the current qualifications.

For more information see:

Legislation

  • Interpretation regulation 20 Social Security Regulations 2018
  • Childcare assistance not payable in respect of certain hours regulation 23 Social Security Regulations 2018
  • Payment of childcare subsidy if principal caregiver engaged in approved activity regulation 32 Social Security Regulations 2018
  • Eligibility of child for payment of childcare subsidy regulation 30 Social Security Regulations 2018
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