ECE Funding Review

The ECE Funding Review was announced on 17 June 2025 by the Associate Minister of Education, Hon David Seymour. Its purpose is to ensure that the funding system for early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand is simple, fair and delivers for children and families.

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Upcoming Engagements with the Ministerial Advisory Group

The (Ministerial Advisory Group) MAG has scheduled a series of hui to hear about the challenges and opportunities for change in the early childhood education funding system. Below is a list of hui anyone can attend.

Gisborne – 29 October 2025*
Auckland – 05 November 2025
Christchurch – 12 November 2025*
Hamilton – 27 November 2025
Wellington – 02 December 2025*
Dunedin – 04 December 2025*

Click here to register to attend a hui.

*indicates that ECC Chief Executive will be in attendance.

About the ECE Funding Review

The ECE Funding Review aims to evaluate and enhance the current funding mechanisms for early childhood education in New Zealand. The primary goal is to ensure that funding is equitable, transparent, and effectively supports high-quality education for all young children. This review is a crucial step towards strengthening our ECE sector, aligning resources with the needs of children, families, and educators, and fostering an environment where every child can thrive.

Read the press release from Associate Minister of Education Hon David Seymour: Modernising Early Childhood Education funding.

The Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG)

To guide this important review, a Ministerial Advisory Group was established on 19 June 2025. This group comprises of independent experts and stakeholders from across the ECE community. Their collective expertise and diverse perspectives will ensure that the review considers the many challenges and opportunities within the sector. The MAG will undertake public consultation and plays a pivotal role in shaping recommendations that will inform the future direction of ECE funding.

The MAG will submit a final report, in September 2026, with fiscally neutral recommendations for redesigning the ECE funding system. The Associate Minister of Education will then make any decisions about possible next steps.

More information

ECC Funding Review Steering Group

ECC has formed its Funding Review Steering Group to provide a focused platform for our members to engage with the review process. This group is not intended to replace the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG), but to complement it by gathering insights and suggestions directly from the diverse ECC membership. Through active engagement, this group identifies specific concerns and proposes potential solutions to ensure the review addresses the concerns of our members.

What to Expect

ECC plans to make a Funding Review submission before Christmas this year and again next year during the public consultation phase. The Steering Group will act as a sounding board for our advice and enable our membership to actively participate. We intend to organise online meetings, including at least one meeting open to all members to discuss our draft submission approach.

Get Involved

We invite our members and other sector stakeholders to engage with the ECE Funding Review process. Your insights and experiences are essential in shaping a funding system that meets the needs of our children and supports the staff and service providers.

There will be opportunities led by the MAG as well as ECC's Steering Group (members only), for more information and to stay updated on the progress check this page regularly and make sure you are subscribed to our Swings & Roundabouts newsletter.