Types of childcare assistance available

Your quick guide to types of childcare available.

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Basic qualifications

  • Be the caregiver of a dependent child.
  • Be enrolled in a Family Start or Early Start programme.
  • Child attends an Early Childhood Education centre or service.

Read the full qualifications

Hours we can pay for

Age Number of hours paid for
0 to 18 months Nil
18 months to 3 years 20 hours a week if full qualifications are met
3 to 18 years Nil

Rates

$9.51 an hour.

Basic qualifications

  • Be the main caregiver of a dependent child under 5 (or over 5 if the school has advised they can't start until the beginning of the term straight after their 5th birthday).
  • Child attends an approved early childhood programme for at least 3 hours a week.
  • Earn less than:
    • $2,257 before tax a week with 1 dependent child
    • $2,579 before tax a week with 2 dependent children
    • $2,902 before tax a week with 3 or more dependent children.

Read the full qualifications

Hours we can pay for

Age Number of hours paid for
0 to 5 years

Up to 50 hours a week if the person either:

  • is working, studying or training and their partner (if they have one) can't provide childcare, or
  • is getting Child Disability Allowance (CDA) for another child, or
  • has another child who's in hospital or
  • is seriously ill or disabled.

Up to 9 hours a week if the person is not working, studying or training.
6 years

The person may be able to get Childcare Subsidy if they're getting Child Disability Allowance (CDA) for their child.
7 to 18 years Nil

Rates

We can pay up to $6.38 an hour, depending on the person's income and how many children they have.

View current rates

Basic qualifications

  • Be the main caregiver of a child under 5 (or over 5 if the school has advised they can't start until the beginning of the term straight after their 5th birthday).
  • Child attends an approved early childhood education programme or service.
  • Either:
    • get Young Parent Payment, or
    • be included on their partner's main benefit and have youth obligations or
    • be under 19 and not getting a benefit.

Read the full qualifications

Hours we can pay for

Age Number of hours paid for
0 to 5 years Up to 50 hours a week if the person is under 19 and meets their youth activity obligations.
6 to 18 years Nil

Rates

Up to $6.38 an hour, up to $319 a week, per child.

20 Hours ECE is a subsidy to help caregivers with the cost of children aged 3 to 5 years old attending early childhood education.

It’s paid by the Ministry of Education. Find out more on their website:

20 Hours ECE - Ministry of Education

Our clients can only get childcare assistance from us for the same hours they're getting 20 Hours ECE if:

  • their child is at a home-based educator, and
  • the home-based educator is charging a top up payment for the same hours as 20 Hours ECE.

Home-based educators may charge a top up payment to cover the difference between their normal hourly rate and the 20 Hours ECE.

Basic qualifications

  • Be the main caregiver of a dependent child under 14 (or under 18 if you get a Child Disability Allowance for them).
  • Child is at school
  • Child attends an approved Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) programme for at least 3 hours a week.
  • Earn less than:
    • $2,257 before tax a week with 1 dependent child
    • $2,579 before tax a week with 2 dependent children
    • $2,902 before tax a week with 3 or more dependent children.

Read the full qualifications

Hours we can pay for

Age Number of hours paid for
0 to 3 years Nil
4 to 13 years

Up to 20 hours a week during school term and up to 50 hours a week during school holidays, if the person either:

  • is working, studying or training and their partner (if they have one) can't provide childcare, or
  • is getting Child Disability Allowance (CDA) for another child, or
  • has another child who's in hospital, or
  • is seriously ill or disabled.
14 to 18 years

The person may be able to get OSCAR Subsidy if they're getting Child Disability Allowance (CDA) for their child.

Rates

We can pay up to $6.38 an hour, depending on the person's income and how many children they have.

View current rates

Basic qualifications

  • Is the principal caregiver of a dependent child or young person.
  • Has informal childcare costs because they're unable to access formal childcare.
  • Is in or starting an employment-related activity for at least 3 hours a week during times they need informal childcare.
  • There are more criteria regarding the type and duration of the employment related activity.

Read the full qualifications

Hours we can pay for

Age Number of hours we can pay for
0 to 18 years Between $64.02 and $192.06 a week for up to 52 weeks, if person meets full qualifications

Rates

How many children

Rate
1 child $64.02 a week
2 children $96.03 a week
3 children $128.04 a week
4 children $160.05 a week
5 or more children $192.06 a week