The Green Party has unveiled its new plan to make Early Childhood Education (ECE) free.

“This is about making ECE for everyone,” says Green Party co-leader, Marama Davidson.

“Every child deserves the best possible start in life. However, ECE costs are a huge stress and barrier for many families.

“Families in Aotearoa face some of the highest ECE costs in the world. A lot of families pay around $10,000 a year per child – making ECE the biggest household cost after housing for many.

“One of the main reasons for this is corporate greed. Too much money meant for our children disappears into corporate profits, while parents pay sky-high fees and teachers earn far too little.

“Our plan makes ECE accessible for whānau while enhancing the quality of care our tamariki receive.

“We will initially cap charges at $10 per day per child on top of the current 20-hour free entitlement. This represents a significant shift from the $12 an-hour some families currently pay. By 2029, we will make ECE free by raising the entitlement to 35 hours a week.

“This is what ECE can look like when we put our kids first and push aside the corporate greed that is dominating the sector.

“A large portion of the Government’s funding for ECE goes straight into the pockets of for-profit chains. These for-profit providers benefit from hundreds of millions in public subsidies while charging high fees and paying low wages to teachers which impacts upon the quality of care. Teacher’s working conditions are our children’s learning conditions.

“Our Budget covers the full cost of delivering quality ECE, ending subsidies to corporations and instead supporting community-based and public centres that prioritise the needs of our kids, not the interests of shareholders.

“With a Green Government, whānau will have the confidence that their tamariki are receiving quality care, without huge costs,” says Marama Davidson.

NOTES:

A Green Government will shift away from corporate provision. This will wind down subsidies for commercial centres and phase in full funding for community non-profit centres.

By 2028, under a Green Government, early childhood education will be well on the way to a child-centred, fully public system. Government funding will be set at a level that supports quality care and decent pay. Unlike the current system, this funding will only be available for centres opting into non-profit models.

These centres will:

Initially provide 20 hours free care per week for children from six months until school age, with no strings attached (ECE Policy)

We will initially cap fees at $10 per day for hours above the 20 per week entitlement.

In 2029, the free hours entitlement will increase from 20 hours to 35 hours. Once all centres receiving public funding are run on a not-for-profit, transparent and community led model, this becomes possible.

Put in place governance and ownership structures that ensure a not for profit, community operated model (for example, through kindergartens, parent collectives, or marae-based care).

Report annually publicly and to the Ministry of Education on finances.

Opt-in to having teacher salaries paid directly by the Ministry of Education, at a level set under a cross-sector collective agreement (similar to how schools operate).

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