Funding boost for early childhood education

Early childhood education services will receive an inflation-based funding boost of 1.95 per cent from 1 July, Education Minister Anne Tolley announced today.

The funding increase brings the early childhood sector into line with school and tertiary education funding increases announced in the Budget, Mrs Tolley said.

"The funding maintains the value of existing subsidies. The Government had intended to announce the new funding rates on Budget day, as done in past years. But we could not confirm the new rates then because a mistake was made by the Ministry of Education in calculating some funding rates in last year's Budget.

"I have received an assurance from the Secretary of Education that this serious error should not have happened and will not happen in future. I am satisfied that the Secretary has dealt with it appropriately," Mrs Tolley said.

More than $1.1 billion in funding has been allocated for early childhood education this year.

"The size of this investment shows the importance we place on children getting a good start in education. The Government also delivered on its promise to extend 20 Hours ECE to Playcentres and all KMhanga Reo, increasing the choices available for parents," Mrs Tolley said.

There are over 198,000 enrolments in early childhood education services.