6-4 Absence rules

Introduction

Absence rules allow services to claim funding for hours that enrolled children do not attend, providing that certain conditions are met.

Absence rules recognise that absences do occur and services should not be unreasonably penalised because of this.

Claiming funding for absences

Funding can only be claimed for an absent child if the situation falls within one of the following absence rules:

• Three Week Rule for Continuous Absence (Section 6-5).
• Three Week Rule Extension for Extended Non-Operation (Section 6-6), or
• The Frequent Absence Rule (Section 6-7).
  

Funding for casual children

Services may claim funding for children who attend casually.

Funding for casual children is based on attendance only. Services must not claim for children who book for a casual session or day and do not attend.

n the event of a funding claim audit, funding claimed for casual children who did not attend a booking will be recovered by the Ministry.

Funding for absence and casual child

Funding must not be claimed for both an absent child under an absence rule and for the child who fills the absent child’s space.

Claiming 20 Hours ECE and absence

Services must not claim 20 Hours ECE funding for an absence and charge fees to a casual child who directly fills the absent child’s place.

This will occur only when the service is filled to its licensed maximum capacity and the casual child is directly replacing an absent child who is receiving 20 Hours ECE.

Where a 20 Hours ECE child is absent and the space is filled with a casual child who has been charged fees, the service must claim subsidy funding, not 20 Hours ECE funding.