Child development — from conception to age five — is the most influential period for long-term health, education, and wellbeing outcomes. New Zealand invests significantly in early childhood development through health, education, and social services. This guide covers the key funding sources.
MoE funds early childhood education:
- ECE funding: Funded 20 hours ECE for 3-5 year olds
- Special education: Resource teachers of learning and behaviour (RTLB)
- Specialist support: Speech language therapy in schools
- Learning support: IEPs and specialist education support
Health system child development:
- Well Child Tamariki Ora: Universal child health programme
- Plunket: Well Child visits and developmental checks
- Developmental paediatrics: Specialist developmental assessment
- Speech language therapy: DHB-funded SLT for speech and language delay
- Hearing screening: Universal newborn hearing screening
MSD funds family and child support:
- Strengthening Families: Interagency support for vulnerable families
- Family Start: Home visiting for high-need families
- Family group conferences: Child protection and family decision-making
Plunket is a primary child development service:
- Well Child checks — nine scheduled visits to age 5
- Parent education and support
- Child health and development monitoring
- PlunketLine — 24-hour parent support
Gaming trusts fund child development:
- Four Winds Foundation: Child and family development
- Grassroots Trust: Child wellbeing
- Pub Charity: Child development and family services
- Lion Foundation: Child development
Gaming trust child development applications:
- Developmental toy libraries
- Speech language therapy supplements
- ECE equipment (books, learning materials)
- Parenting courses and resources
- Child health programmes
SLT is a high-demand area:
- DHB SLT: Publicly funded — long wait lists
- Private SLT: Gaming trusts can fund for low-income families
- ECE SLT: In-ECE speech language support
Early autism intervention:
- Ministry of Education: Autism-specific education support
- Whaikaha: Disability support for autistic children
- Early intervention: Intensive early intervention programmes
Hearing in child development:
- Universal Newborn Hearing Screening: Detecting hearing loss at birth
- Grommets: Ear tube surgery for glue ear
- Audiologist: DHB-funded audiology for children
Child development equity:
- Te Puni Kōkiri: Māori child development
- Ministry for Pacific Peoples: Pacific early childhood development
- Kohanga Reo: Māori language early childhood
- Pacific ECE: Pacific language nests
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Children reached: Number of children and age range
- Developmental outcomes: Speech, language, motor, and cognitive development
- Early intervention: Catching developmental delay early
- Equity: Māori, Pacific, and socioeconomically disadvantaged children
- Parenting: Parent capability in supporting child development
- ECE quality: Quality early childhood education improving outcomes
- Disability: Children with developmental disability and early support
- Health: Child health checks and developmental monitoring
Tahua's grants management platform helps child development organisations manage grant applications across MoE, Te Whatu Ora, MSD, gaming trusts, and community funders, tracking developmental milestones, ECE participation, and child health outcomes.