Tamati Coffey Labour List MP

For many working families here in the Rotorua electorate, childcare is one of the biggest household costs. That's why, as part of our Government's work to support New Zealanders with the cost of living, we're making childcare more affordable for low and middle income families.
We recently announced that we're significantly expanding childcare assistance, cutting costs for working parents and supporting more children into early education. On top of this, we're further boosting Working for Families and the Best Start payment, providing more support to help ease the pressure. That's on top of the work that we've already done to ease cost of living pressures on New Zealanders, including the fuel tax cut, action on supermarkets and more.

The childcare changes will start from April 1 next year. The exact amount families will save on childcare costs will depend on the number of hours they work per week, the wages they are on, the number of hours of childcare per day, and the cost of their early childcare education centre. Here's an example - a family with two parents both working 40 hours per week, each on $26 per hour, with two children under five would not have been eligible for childcare assistance, and will now be eligible for $252 per week.

Childcare assistance has been neglected for more than a decade, since income thresholds were frozen by National in 2010. I'm really proud that the changes we're making will see thousands of parents given back the choice to do what's best for their family.