Help paying for childcare

Depending on how much you earn and how old your children are, your family may be able to get help with the cost of childcare.

For children under 5

20 hours of funded early childhood education (ECE)

All 3, 4 and 5-year-olds can get up to 20 hours of ECE fully funded by the Ministry of Education.

Help paying for early childhood education

FamilyBoost: help with the costs of ECE — Inland Revenue

  • Register for FamilyBoost if you qualify.
  • Save your ECE invoices for each 3-month period.
  • Apply every 3 months for FamilyBoost money.

FamilyBoost — Inland Revenue

Childcare subsidy — Work and Income

If you have a dependant child who’s under 5 (or under 6 if you get a Child Disability Allowance for them), you might be able to get a childcare subsidy.

Childcare subsidy — Work and Income

For children aged 5 to 13

You can get help with the costs of:

  • before-school and after-school programmes — up to 20 hours a week
  • school-holiday programmes — up to 50 hours a week.

Out of school care and recreation (OSCAR) subsidy — Work and Income

Who to contact for more help

If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact one of the following agencies.

Utility links and page information

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