NZ ECE funding diff
What changed in 2025
Budget 2025 delivered 22 May 2025 by Hon Nicola Willis.
Budget 2025 delivered a 0.5% cost adjustment to ECE subsidy rates — the lowest annual rate increase in the sector's recent history. The 0.5% lift was widely criticised as failing to keep pace with the 3-4% annual operating cost inflation services were absorbing. Sector body Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood NZ described the result as leaving early learning services "in a precarious position financially". No major changes were made to FamilyBoost, 20 Hours ECE, or the Childcare Subsidy in Budget 2025; the year's focus was elsewhere in the education portfolio.
Changes this year
- Funding rate +0.5%
0.5% increase to ECE subsidy rates
The smallest ECE rate increase in recent memory. The 0.5% adjustment was applied to the per-child funded rates from 1 July 2025. The sector had widely requested a larger uplift to address cost-of-delivery inflation; Budget 2025 did not deliver it.
Effective from 1 Jul 2025 Source: Treasury — Budget 2025
About this page: a neutral catalogue of NZ ECE funding and policy changes by year. Built from official Crown / Treasury / Ministry sources cited above. We do not represent any political party — corrections and additions welcome via contact. Last reviewed 2026-05-28. See also: our methodology · data sources + licences.