Childcare Subsidy

A Childcare Subsidy is normally paid for up to 9 hours of childcare a week if you're not working, studying or training.

You may be able to get up to 50 hours a week if you're in one of these situations:

• working, studying or on an approved training course
• involved in an activity that Work and Income has asked you to do
• a shift worker who works nights
• seriously ill or disabled
• caring for a child in hospital or for a child you get the Child Disability Allowance for.

In most cases you can't get the Childcare Subsidy for more than 9 hours a week if the child's other parent or caregiver can care for them.

20 Hours Early Childhood Education

You can only get Childcare Subsidy for the same hours you're getting 20 Hours Early Childhood Education (ECE) if:

• your child is at a home-based educator, and
• the home-based educator is charging a top up payment for the same hours as 20 Hours ECE.

Home-based educators may charge you a top up payment to cover the difference between their normal hourly rate and 20 Hours ECE.

20 Hours ECE (Ministry of Education)external

Public holidays

We pay Childcare Subsidy for public holidays like Waitangi Day and anniversary days. However, most programmes close between Christmas and New Year, so payments won’t be made during this time. 

Optional charges and donations

You can’t get Childcare Subsidy for optional charges and donations requested by your childcare provider.

How much you get depends on:

• the size of your family
• your income
• how many hours a week your child goes to the childcare provider, and
• the amount and type of childcare fee.

Childcare assistance starts from the date the care starts (or from the date you apply if you apply after it starts). All subsidies are paid directly to the childcare provider.

View our current ratesexternal

We can grant you the financial assistance you're entitled to from the date you first contact us, or the date your childcare started, whichever is later, if you complete your application within 20 working days of that date.

If you're a Youth Service client, you need to talk to your Youth Service provider.

How you apply depends on whether you're applying for Childcare Subsidy only or other payments as well.

Applying for Childcare Subsidy only

What form you fill out depends on whether you're an existing client of ours or a new client.

Existing client

If you already get payments from us, you can apply online using the SmartStart website. 

You'll need your:

• RealMe login - if you haven't registered for RealMe, you'll be asked to register in SmartStart
• income details
• partner's income details
• dependent children’s birth certificates
• Work and Income client number
• IRD number
• email address, so SmartStart can send you notifications during the application process.

If your (or your partner's) information has changed, you'll also need to provide proof of your identity. 

You can upload your documents through SmartStart when you apply.

Apply online (SmartStart)external

Register for RealMe (Department of Internal Affairs)external

New client

If you don't get any payments from us, you and your partner (if you have one) need to complete the Childcare Assistance application form.

Your childcare provider also needs to complete the supervisor's section inside this form.

You can either:

• email the application form, and any other documents we've asked you to get, to Centralised_childcare_reviews@msd.govt.nz, or
• ask your childcare provider to send this to us on your behalf.

If you can't print the form out, you can call us to get an application form sent to you, or pick one up from your nearest service centre.

You can bring the completed form into a service centre.

Find your nearest service centre

If you can’t bring the form into a service centre, call us to find out how to get it to us.

Phone us

If this is your first time applying for a benefit or ongoing payment, you need to bring your original government-issued ID into a service centre so we can check it. Checking ID in person helps us make sure we give support to the right person and protect your identity. 

Verify your identity at a service centre

Applying for Childcare Subsidy and other payments

You can apply online:

Apply Online

Once you've applied online, we'll tell you what you need to do. This will include having to get your childcare provider to complete the supervisor's section of the Childcare Assistance application form.

Childcare assistance is reviewed regularly. It also usually stops or is reviewed:

• the day after your job or course ends
• after 12 weeks if you stop work because you have a health condition or are injured
• when your child reaches the age limit for the subsidy
• when your child leaves the pre-school facility or Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) programme
• if the child leaves your care.

You must also tell us straight away about any changes in your circumstances that could affect your payments, eg:

• if you or your partner's income changes
• if your child stops going or moves to another early childhood education programme or OSCAR programme
• if there's a change in your child's attendance
• if the number of hours you (or your partner) work or study each week changes
• if the reason why you get a subsidy changes, eg your health improves or your child leaves hospital
• your child starts or stops receiving 20 Hours ECE
• your home-based educator starts to charge a top up payment for the time your child is getting 20 Hours ECE.

Manage your childcare payments