Jobseeker Support : Contents
Approved early childhood education programmes or services
An approved early childhood education programme or service includes:
- a licensed early childhood education service which includes:
- early childhood education and care centre (eg daycare centre, kÅhanga reo, playcentre, kindergarten)
- home-based education and care service
- hospital-based education and care service
- a playgroup that has been certificated by the Ministry of Education (this means a playgroup is funded by the Ministry of Education and will meet certain standards)
- if before 1 December 2014, a licence-exempt early childhood education and care centre funded by the Ministry of Education (this means a playgroup is funded by the Ministry of Education and so meets certain standards)
and
- for which a fee is charged for the children to participate in the programme
Most early childhood education services offer 20 Hours Early Childhood Education. This means that children aged 3, 4 and 5 years old may be able to receive up to 6 hours per day, 20 hours per week of free early childhood education.
To help clients meet this social obligation you should discuss childcare assistance that may be available to the client.
For more information see:
Legislation
- Social obligations in relation to dependent children regulation 90-92 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Specific obligations: social obligations in relation to dependent children sections 128-135 Social Security Act 2018
- Direction setting approval criteria for specified early childhood education programmes for purposes of social obligations under the Social Security Act 2018 [no link find out why]
