ECE Sector Innovation Supports FamilyBoost

Following the introduction of the legislation last night, the Early Childhood Council welcomes FamilyBoost because of its potential to help more families access childcare – and is its members a solution to encourage families to use it fairly.

“Every parent wants quality education for their youngest children, and Budget 2024 helps deliver that by subsidising New Zealand’s most unaffordable childcare in the OECD,” said ECC CEO Simon Laube.

“FamilyBoost should stimulate demand, and re-engage families with ECE centres – more demand for childcare does benefit ECE providers. FamilyBoost is a positive move before more substantial relief comes from the ECE Regulation Review, which is expected to remove costly over-regulation, imposing time and cost burdens and drive people to leave our sector in sheer frustration.”

To help with the FamilyBoost roll out, the ECC has closed the loophole of parents potentially claiming FamilyBoost for unpaid childcare fees. All ECC members will exclusively benefit from a free enrolment agreement update that asks parents to agree to claim FamilyBoost for childcare fees they have actually paid.

“We think it’s a reasonable expectation for centres to ask this of parents. Centres will have some discretion but it’s hard to imagine a situation where it’s OK for parents to claim government support for childcare fees they actually didn’t pay for. This loophole can and has been closed by ECC. Our members are competent and responsible ECE operators – we don’t need government when we can find innovative solutions for ourselves.”

“FamilyBoost should help families and parents, and with ECC’s help, centres can make it easier for them to apply for FamilyBoost,” said Simon Laube.

The ECC is New Zealand’s largest ECE employer association which represents about 1,500 centres.

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