2 March | Poutūterangi 2023

 

Updated funding settings for the regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle

 

EC12 absence exemption: Frequent absence and continuous absence rules

Services in the regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle can continue to automatically apply an absence exemption for permanently enrolled children who are unable to attend your service. This exemption can now be applied directly in your student management system during the Monday 13 February to Friday 31 March period.
When an absence exemption is applied, the frequent absence and three-week continuous absence rules are suspended. While the absence exemption is in place, funding can be claimed as normal for the booked hours of children with a permanent enrolment who are unable to attend. Funding must not be claimed for children who have permanently left your service.
Please note: For services outside the regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle there is no EC12 exemption. Normal absence funding rules apply.

Emergency closure funding

 

Licensed early childhood services in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions that are not able to open, may continue to claim emergency closure funding without gaining approval from their local Te Mahau office. We have extended this from services in these regions from Friday 3 March to Friday 31 March.
Funding can continue to be claimed using the emergency closure (EC) code in your student management system (SMS). Through this code, funding will be claimed for all children who are permanently enrolled at your service on the affected day.
If your service remains open for children, funding may be claimed as normal.

No emergency closure code is required.

 

Home-based emergency closure

Home-based services in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions may claim funding if the home of an educator is unavailable to provide care due to weather related damage. Funding can be claimed by marking a child as being absent. Educator absences do not need to be recorded. We have extended this change from Friday 3 March to Friday 31 March.
Please note: Licenced early childhood services outside of the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions are now required to contact their local Te Mahau office to gain approval to claim emergency closure funding.

Dual enrolments

There may be situations where a child needs to attend a service other than their enrolled service in the Hawkes Bay/Tairāwhiti region.

If the services are not operated by the same service provider, then both services can claim funding for that child.

If a child needs to attend a different service operated by the same service provider, both services can now claim funding for that child for the Friday 3 March to Friday 31 March period.

Enrolment and attendance records should be maintained at both services.

For any children temporarily attending a service, their enrolment agreement should contain a note explaining the temporary enrolment. For example, “[Child’s name] is attending this service due to the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle. [Child’s name] is also enrolled at [service name(s)] in the cyclone affected region”.

If the child permanently enrols in the new service, the child’s enrolment should be updated to reflect the change. Funding should not be claimed if a child has permanently left your service.

New enrolments

Services in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions can continue to claim funding for children from the agreed start date, as long as there is a completed enrolment agreement signed and dated prior to Monday 13 February.

The requirement for a service to maintain a letter from a parent/guardian explaining the absence to claim funding for children who do not attend on their agreed start date has been removed for the Monday 13 February to Friday 31 March period.

Funding must not be claimed if a parent/guardian unenrolls their child.

New services

Services in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions who were scheduled to open during the Monday 13 February to Friday 31 March period can claim funding for any permanently enrolled child.

Funding can be claimed by the service entering an emergency closure code in their student management system or ELI web if they are closed during this time.

Early Learning Information Web – Ministry of Education

For services that are open, absence funding can be claimed. Apply the advice regarding new enrolments for any children who were unable to attend on their planned start date.

It is the intention that following Friday 31 March the above funding supports will be assessed at a more targeted service-by-service level.