Latest news with #EarlyChildhoodCouncil
Scoop
07-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
FamilyBoost Majorly Boosted – Many More Families Will Benefit From Reduced Childcare Costs
The Early Childhood Council says changes to FamilyBoost are welcome and will have a positive effect across the sector. 'Today's announcement means more families can access support with their costs, and increase children's ability to access quality childcare, potentially for longer than before for families who were struggling' said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube. 'Adjusting the thresholds also means the payments households get from IRD are nearly doubling after today's changes.' 'I'm pleasantly surprised how much more generous FamilyBoost has become, it's sure to stimulate great interest from parents.' The changes announced today by Minister Nicola Willis will mean families receive much higher FamilyBoost payments, and more families will now be eligible for the scheme as of 1 July 2025. The long term ECE funding shortfall means many families are finding rising centre fees unaffordable, so boosting FamilyBoost should help. 'Including FamilyBoost in the Funding Review's scope is a very wise move. We need the whole system to work together to address the real challenges facing families who need childcare, our rising expectations in New Zealand about the quality of ECE services that should be provided and the current shared-cost model between government subsidies/schemes and families' ability to pay.' 'We welcomed FamilyBoost from the start, and have supported IRD with its changes. If you were sitting on the fence about FamilyBoost, today's announcement makes it so much more attractive – we strongly recommend parents with children in ECE register to access the rebates. Remember you can still claim FamilyBoost for childcare costs from last year as well,' said Simon Laube.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Learning Support Funding Welcomed But Something's Got To Give For ECE
Press Release – Early Childhood Council After Budget 2024 we were told there would be real cost relief through the ECE Regulatory Review, but any changes are still unclear and 14-18 months away, said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube. There was no meaningful financial relief announced for ECE providers in Budget 25 – but the government's commitment to a funding review, buried in the detail, may offer some light at the end of the tunnel. 'If you're an ECE provider struggling to stay viable, you're asking 'what will help me keep the doors open? The lack of investment today confirms providers' worst fears – that the Government does not have confidence to invest in ECE because of the broken funding system,' said Simon Laube, Early Childhood Council CEO. ECC, who've campaigned for a comprehensive funding review over many years, takes the funding allocated to an ECE funding review in Budget 2025 as a big win for the entire sector, but says an announcement with the details can't come soon enough. 'After Budget 2024 we were told there would be real cost relief through the ECE Regulatory Review, but any changes are still unclear and 14-18 months away,' said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube. Further evidence of the broken funding system was revealed today, with the government having to find $334.5 million to fund higher than expected early childhood payments to providers this year, likely caused by the costly Pay Parity policies combined with questionable population projections. One ECC member alone had a $60,000 shortfall this year due to Pay Parity's teacher salary progression requirements, which give all teachers 4% salary increments, unfunded by government – shortfalls of that size are enough to sink a vulnerable business or community group. This year's ECE cost adjustment of 0.5% is a record low. Over the last six years, successive government's lowballing adds up to a massive 12.7% shortfall against inflation over the period. 'The Government is allowing these cost pressures to mount up – ECE funding in 2026 will be 12.7% less valuable than it was to providers in 2020, that's the equivalent of a massive funding cut in today's dollars,' said Simon Laube. ECC celebrates the Learning Support investment in the Budget, as it has the potential to make a massive difference for learners who need additional support. Supporting these learners shows that New Zealanders truly care for all children, and it's about time. In ECE, additional funds for the Early Intervention Service and an expansion of that service into Year 1 of school will massively help address the well-known problems with children's transition out of ECE into school, when the Early Intervention Service used to get cut off. Now it won't get cut off and children who need additional support can experience a more seamless education.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Learning Support Funding Welcomed But Something's Got To Give For ECE
There was no meaningful financial relief announced for ECE providers in Budget 25 – but the government's commitment to a funding review, buried in the detail, may offer some light at the end of the tunnel. 'If you're an ECE provider struggling to stay viable, you're asking 'what will help me keep the doors open? The lack of investment today confirms providers' worst fears - that the Government does not have confidence to invest in ECE because of the broken funding system,' said Simon Laube, Early Childhood Council CEO. ECC, who've campaigned for a comprehensive funding review over many years, takes the funding allocated to an ECE funding review in Budget 2025 as a big win for the entire sector, but says an announcement with the details can't come soon enough. 'After Budget 2024 we were told there would be real cost relief through the ECE Regulatory Review, but any changes are still unclear and 14-18 months away,' said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube. Further evidence of the broken funding system was revealed today, with the government having to find $334.5 million to fund higher than expected early childhood payments to providers this year, likely caused by the costly Pay Parity policies combined with questionable population projections. One ECC member alone had a $60,000 shortfall this year due to Pay Parity's teacher salary progression requirements, which give all teachers 4% salary increments, unfunded by government - shortfalls of that size are enough to sink a vulnerable business or community group. This year's ECE cost adjustment of 0.5% is a record low. Over the last six years, successive government's lowballing adds up to a massive 12.7% shortfall against inflation over the period. 'The Government is allowing these cost pressures to mount up - ECE funding in 2026 will be 12.7% less valuable than it was to providers in 2020, that's the equivalent of a massive funding cut in today's dollars,' said Simon Laube. ECC celebrates the Learning Support investment in the Budget, as it has the potential to make a massive difference for learners who need additional support. Supporting these learners shows that New Zealanders truly care for all children, and it's about time. In ECE, additional funds for the Early Intervention Service and an expansion of that service into Year 1 of school will massively help address the well-known problems with children's transition out of ECE into school, when the Early Intervention Service used to get cut off. Now it won't get cut off and children who need additional support can experience a more seamless education.
