Is Kindergarten Really Free?
Yes. Really. There’s no catch.
When you see “up to 30 hours free kindergarten”, it’s understandable to wonder what that actually means. Is there a hidden fee? Do you have to meet certain conditions? Is it only free for a few hours? At most of kindergartens, the answer is simple: yes, you can access up to 30 hours of free kindergarten each week from age 2.
Here’s how it works
It might sound a little complicated, but it’s actually quite simple — here’s how we make up to 30 hours weekly of free ECE at our kindergartens.
The Ministry of Education’s 20 Hours ECE funding starts from age 3. However, at most of our kindergartens, we don’t make you wait until your tamaiti turns 3. If you intend to use your 20 Hours ECE with us once your tamaiti turns 3, we provide those same 20 hours free from age 2. Then, from age 3, when the Ministry of Education provides the funding for your 20 Hours ECE, and you allocate all 20 hours to our kindergarten, we provide up to another 10 hours free each week.
So, in simple terms:
From age 2:
20 hours free from Nelson Tasman Kindergartens
+ up to 10 additional hours free from us
= up to 30 hours free each week
From age 3:
The 20 hours are then funded through 20 Hours ECE
+ up to 10 additional hours free from us
= up to 30 hours free each week
We do this because we want tamariki and whānau to be able to access quality ECE from age 2, without having to wait until their third birthday.
What about our kindergartens that welcome younger tamariki?
Bridge Street Kindergarten and Matangi Āwhio Auckland Point Kindergarten both welcome tamariki from as young as 3 months. Because they cater for younger tamariki, their funding arrangements are a little different.
Matangi Āwhio Auckland Point kindergarten offers up to 30 free hours from age 3.
Bridge Street kindergarten offers 20 free hours from age 3 and does not offer the additional 10 hours.
If you're looking for a place for a tamaiti under 2, your kindergarten administrator can explain the fees and funding for your chosen kindergarten.
What about the Family Contribution?
You may have heard about our 50 cent per hour Family Contribution and wondered if this means kindergarten isn't actually free. It doesn't.
The Family Contribution is a voluntary donation, not a fee for your free ECE hours. It helps us cover additional costs such as art and craft supplies, stationery, printing, local trips and extra activities that aren't covered by Ministry funding.
If you're unable to contribute financially, that's completely okay. You can talk with your teaching team about other ways you might like to support your kindergarten.
When might there be a fee?
While the 20 Hours ECE funding covers 20 hours each week, there are some circumstances where a fee may apply.
This can include when:
your tamaiti is under 2 years old (two of our kindergartens welcome tamariki from 3 months old)
your tamaiti attends for more than 6 hours in a day
you don't allocate all 20 of your Ministry-funded hours to our kindergarten
you attend hours outside the free hours available.
Your local kindergarten administrator can explain exactly what applies to your whānau.
So, is kindergarten really free?
Yes.
For most of our kindergartens, tamariki from age 2 can attend for up to 30 hours each week without paying a fee for those hours. And we're a not-for-profit charity, so the funding we receive goes back into our kindergartens - supporting our 100% qualified kaiako, learning environments, resources and experiences for tamariki. We want high-quality early learning to be accessible to whānau across our region.
No hidden costs. No catch. Just great kindergarten.