Fees and Whānau Payments
The following fees and whānau payment information is for our 20 sessional Kindergartens. Please note that Nettie Riley Kindergarten has a different fee structure. Please contact the Head Teacher at Nettie Riley for more information.
Keeping Early Childhood Education (ECE) affordable
We offer the Government’s 20 Hours ECE Scheme and low hourly fees. This means that for most of our families, the cost for their child to attend kindergarten is very low.
What does 20 Hours ECE mean?
Quite simply, because our kindergartens are teacher-led and provide service to 2-5 year olds, all you need to do is enrol your child and you can claim the 20 Hours ECE.
So, for six hours a day to a maximum of 20 hours per week, the cost of your child attending our kindergartens is largely covered, no matter how many hours you work or how much you earn.
All families/whānau are asked to make a voluntary Whānau Payment of $0.50 per hour as a ‘top up’ for all of their child's hours under the 20 Hours ECE scheme.
The Whānau Payment reduces to $0.25 per hour for any second, third etc children from the same family attending at the same time.
Please note - Whānau Payments are classed as a donation by IRD. Your kindergarten will give you a receipt you can use to apply for a Tax Credit.
How do I claim my 20 Hours ECE?
Easy. We’ll ask you to complete some details on our Enrolment Form when your child starts at kindergarten. These details tell the Ministry of Education how you are going to use your child’s 20 Hours ECE. As soon as we have this and you’ve completed a full Enrolment Form, you can receive the 20 Hours ECE – there is no waiting period.
Kindergarten Fees
If your child attends kindergarten for more than 20 hours a week, or you are spreading your 20 Hours ECE across more than one early childhood centre, you will be charged a fee for the additional hours.
This fee is $4.00 incl GST per hour.
The fee reduces to $2.50 incl GST per hour, for any second, third etc children from the same family, attending at the same time.
Two year olds will not be charged a fee if their families confirm they will use their 20 Hours ECE at the kindergarten after their third birthday. They will be asked for the Whanau Payment that would apply once they are using their 20 Hours ECE.
What if my child attends more than one early childhood education service?
Your child can use your entitlement to 20 Hours ECE across more than one early childhood education service, as long as their attendance across all services is no more than 6 hours per day, up to 20 hours per week.
Additional information on ‘20 Hours ECE’ is available on the Parents section of the Ministry of Education’s website.
Getting help with your fees
You may be able to get a WINZ Childcare Subsidy to help with the payment of your fees. To find out if your family qualifies:
- Ask at your kindergarten for a WINZ brochure
- Call WINZ on 0800 774 004
- Visit www.workandincome.govt.nz
How much will I end up paying?
This will depend on how you choose to use your 20 Hours ECE, how many children you have and the number of hours they spend at kindergarten. Here are some examples to help you work it out.
Te Pūtahi Kura Pūhou o Te Awakairangi
Contact Us
Phone: 04 920 9800
Email: info@huttkindergartens.org.nz
Head Office Physical Address: Level 2, 135 Witako Street, Epuni, Lower Hutt 5011
Postal Address: PO Box 30552, Lower Hutt 5040
2024 Term Dates
Term 1: 19 Jan – 12 Apr
Term 2: 29 Apr – 5 Jul
Term 3: 22 Jul – 27 Sep
Term 4: 14 Oct – 20 Dec
