Funding details show increase

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 3

Funding details show increase

By

BRENDON BURNS

Keenly awaited funding levels for early childhood care and education institutions are detailed in the Budget. The Minister of Education, Mr Lange, said a phased Increase in the bulk grant; to day-care centres, creches, preschool and other institutions would take place, beginning in February, 1990. Funding would generally be dependent upon the institution having a charter, approved by the Ministry of Education, he said. From February, a payment of $2.25 an hour for each child older than two

| Pre-school care

years will be made. It will gradually increase to reach $3.30 a child an hour by July, 1994. Kindergarten funding is already about this level. A guaranteee had been given that kindergartens would not face any expenditure cuts. Mr Lange announced a new funding level for infants aged under two who attend an institution without their parents. They will attract $7.25 an hour, reflecting the higher cost of caring for younger children.

Anomer minion will be available .’Tor the establishment and capital expenditure of kohanga reo, which will be treated the same as other eariychildhood services. The Early Childhood Development Unit of the Ministry of Education will have more than $5 million to assist families, to support groups and communities and to help develop early childhood staffing. An additional $l.BB million will be given to the Special Education Service for early-intervention programmes.