Early Childhood Education in New Zealand is facing serious challenges. Since March 2022, 443 services have closed, and up to 400 more might close within a year. Rising costs, minimal funding adjustments, and weak support policies, such as Family Boost, have left services, particularly in rural and low-income areas, financially vulnerable. The average shortfall per centre is $41,000, and donations and fee increases cannot fill this gap. Without urgent, realistic funding in Budget 2026, over 190,000 tamariki could lose access to early learning. This isn’t just an education problem—it also affects families, the workforce, and the economy. A 5% funding increase is needed to keep services running and protect tamariki in their critical early years.
You can read the full article on nzherald.co.nz.
Supporting early learning now is one of the most powerful investments our country can make – CE sector open letter
Thursday, 22 January 2026
Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand has always been a partnership between Government and New Zealand families. The sector was set up this way to ensure every child has access to crucial foundational education. But today, more than 190,000 New Zealand children are at risk of losing access to quality early learning with services across the country under serious pressure because of ever-increasing operating costs, pay parity increases, and just a 0.5% funding adjustment from the 2025 budget.
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