28/05/2026
Budget 2026: New Zealand Kindergarten (NZK) Network āUnderwhelmed and Disappointedā by Funding Increase
Today I released a media statement stating that the Governmentās 2026 Budget funding increase for Early Childhood Education (ECE) falls well short of what is needed to genuinely support quality education outcomes for young children.
While the wider ECE sector received a 1.5% increase in funding rates, Kindergarten Associations which deliver teacher-led, community-based early learning with 100% qualified teachers is set to receive an increase of just 0.48%.
The announcement is deeply disappointing for a sector already carrying significant cost pressures.
We are underwhelmed and disappointed by Budget 2026. At a time when the Government continues to talk about lifting educational achievement, all of the evidence points to the importance of investing early and investing in quality, teacher-led Early Childhood Education.
Instead, we continue to see a disproportionate focus on the compulsory schooling sector, while the value and impact of quality ECE is too often overlooked. The reality is that the foundations for lifelong learning, wellbeing, participation, and achievement are built in the early years. Research consistently shows that high-quality ECE delivered by qualified teachers has one of the strongest long-term impacts on educational success, social wellbeing, and future economic participation. Yet this Budget does little to recognise or support that reality.
Kindergarten Associations across New Zealand are already absorbing significant and growing financial pressures, including workforce costs, compliance obligations, and increasing demand for support for Tamariki with diverse learning and behavioural needs. Quality ECE is not childcare. It is one of the most powerful educational and social investments a country can make, and if we are serious about improving long-term outcomes for children, then ECE cannot continue to sit on the sidelines of education investment and policy attention.
Kindergartens are not-for-profit, community-based organisations. We are deeply committed to ensuring children and whÄnau can access high-quality early learning, regardless of their circumstances. But quality cannot continue to be expected on the cheap.
The modest increase for Kindergarten Associations risks further widening the gap between the actual cost of delivering barrier-free, quality education and the funding provided by Government.
The Kindergarten Movement has supported generations of New Zealand children and families for more than 100 years. We remain committed to our Kaupapa and to delivering exceptional outcomes for Tamariki and whÄnau, but this Budget does not provide the level of support needed to sustain and strengthen that work into the future.
