Childcare Subsidy

You may be able to get up to either:

• 9 hours a week, or
• 50 hours a week if you're in one of these situations:
  • working
  • studying
  • on an approved training course
  • have a serious health condition
  • caring for a child in hospital
  • getting a Child Disability Allowance for a child.

50 hours a week

If you can get 50 hours a week, we'll only pay for the time that the child's other parent or caregiver can't care for them.

For example:

• You're in study for 50 hours and your partner's working for 40 hours and travelling for 3 hours (to and from work).
• We'll pay for 43 hours of childcare.

Getting ECE

If you get 20 hours Early Childhood Education (ECE), you can't get the Childcare Subsidy for the same hours.

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.

Payments are made directly to the childcare provider and start from the date the care starts (or from the date you apply if you apply after it starts).

If you're eligible, we can grant you the Childcare Subsidy from the date you first contact us, as long as you complete your application within 20 working days of that date.

How you apply 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 verification documents, eg, payslips
• partner's income verification documents
• 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.

New client

If you don't get any payments from us, you need to:

1. Complete the Childcare Subsidy application form
2. Get the childcare provider to fill out their part of the form.
3. Get evidence of your situation (the application form will tell you what to provide).
4. Log in to Connect and upload your form and evidence.

If you're getting childcare payments for your child and they haven't started school yet, your payments are reviewed every 52 weeks.

Childcare payments are reviewed regularly. It also usually stops or is reviewed:

• the day after your course ends
• when your child reaches the age limit for the subsidy
• when your child leaves the pre-school facility or 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 programme
• if there's a change in your child's attendance
• if the number of hours you (or your partner) study or work 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.