Budget 2026 Must Protect The Future Of Quality Early Childhood Education

Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand is calling on the Government to use Budget 2026 to make meaningful investment in teacher-led quality early childhood education, warning that without urgent and appropriate funding, the quality and sustainability of ECE in Aotearoa is increasingly at risk.

Chief Executive Kathy Wolfe says the sector is under growing pressure from rising operational costs, workforce shortages, and increasing expectations on teachers and services, while funding continues to fall behind the real cost of delivering quality education and care.

“Quality early childhood education cannot be delivered on goodwill alone,” says Mrs Wolfe. “ECE services across Aotearoa are facing significant financial pressure, and many are being forced to make difficult decisions simply to remain sustainable. We are already seeing quality services in communities close under the strain.”

Te Rito Maioha says Budget 2026 presents a critical opportunity for the Government to demonstrate that it genuinely values early childhood education as an essential part of Aotearoa’s education system and social infrastructure.

“New Zealand has long recognised the importance of teacher-led early childhood education,” says Mrs Wolfe. “The evidence has only strengthened over time that qualified teachers, strong pedagogy, and high-quality learning environments make a profound difference to outcomes for tamariki and whānau.”

The Chief Executive of New Zealand Kindergarten, celebrating 100 years this year, notes that “ECE and kindergarten was built on a bold idea: that all children deserve access to education led by trained professionals, not simply care.” Mrs Wolfe says teacher-led ECE means services where the majority of educators are qualified and certificated teachers, supported by professional teaching practice, child development knowledge, and curriculum expertise grounded in Te Whāriki.

“Teacher-led early childhood education is about much more than supervision,” she says. “It means tamariki are supported by teachers who understand child development, inclusive practice, assessment, communication, and how to intentionally support learning during the most critical years of life.”

“The first 1000 days of a child’s life are some of the most significant in development, shaping lifelong learning, wellbeing, emotional security, and health outcomes. High-quality early childhood education during these formative years has a lasting impact, which is why investment in the sector is not just important, it is essential.”

However, Mrs Wolfe says those outcomes are placed at risk when funding settings fail to reflect the actual cost of providing investment into quality ECE.

“The alternative to teacher-led ECE is a system increasingly reliant on fewer professionally trained teachers in centres,” she says. “That creates real risks for quality, workforce stability, and outcomes for tamariki.”

Te Rito Maioha says reducing qualified teacher numbers can result in:

• less intentional teaching and weaker curriculum delivery
• reduced ability to identify developmental or learning concerns early
• increased pressure on remaining qualified teachers
• lower workforce stability and higher staff turnover
• reduced support for tamariki with diverse or complex needs
• poorer long-term educational and wellbeing outcomes.

“If services are expected to maintain qualified teachers, deliver on Te Whāriki, support increasingly diverse learner needs, and uphold high standards of care and education, then funding must match those expectations,” says Mrs Wolfe.

Te Rito Maioha is calling for Budget 2026 to include investment that supports:

• appropriate funding rates that reflect real operating costs
• sustained commitment to qualified teachers, their pay and conditions
• workforce development and teacher retention
• equitable access to quality ECE for all tamariki and whānau.

“The sector has reached a point where underinvestment is no longer just creating pressure behind the scenes, it is beginning to threaten the sustainability and quality of provision itself,” says Mrs Wolfe.

Mrs Wolfe says there is also concern that ongoing underfunding may incentivise cheaper staffing models that shift ECE away from being an educational profession, toward a basic supervision model.

“That undermines both the professional status of teachers and the quality expectations whānau should be able to have for early childhood education in Aotearoa,” she says.

Te Rito Maioha says quality ECE must not be viewed as a discretionary expense, but as a long-term investment in children, communities, and the future wellbeing of Aotearoa.

“We know that high-quality early learning changes lives. It supports children’s development, strengthens communities, and contributes to better long-term educational and social outcomes as children transition into primary school,” says Mrs Wolfe.

“Budget 2026 is an opportunity for the Government to move beyond rhetoric and invest meaningfully in the future of teacher-led quality early childhood education. Without that investment, the quality that tamariki deserve is increasingly in jeopardy.”

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