20 Hours Free info campaign off to a great start

There have been more than 200 phone calls from parents to the information line for the 20 Hours Free Early Childhood Education campaign, within three days of the first television advertisement, says Education Minister Steve Maharey.

"This campaign is to prepare for the implementation of the policy from 1 July, with discussions currently taking place between the Ministry of Education and the sector.

"So far, signs are encouraging for a large uptake of this scheme and the advertising campaign will continue through May. Parents will also be receiving information from next month, so they can sign up their children for 20 Hours Free.

"This very popular policy will benefit up to 92 thousand children and their families from 1 July, and this week marks the beginning of a targeted marketing campaign with TV ads and the launch of the information line to support parents.

"The phone line has already had 205 calls from parents keen to know more about how they can benefit from this policy."

The Ministry of Education has also been carrying out face-to-face workshops with providers to explain how the policy will work for them, and the reaction has been extremely positive.

A survey of feedback from providers attending the workshops found 90 per cent said they have enough information to clearly understand the policy, and 90 per cent also said they felt confident they knew the steps required to consider offering it.

"This policy will help children get the best start to their education, and will substantially reduce costs for parents. It's a huge initiative being rolled out from July, so it's vital that we communicate with centres and parents now so they know exactly how it will work for them and they can make the right decision.

The Free ECE Information line can be contacted at 0800 20 44 33.

ENDS

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