Childcare, Family Financial Support for Expats Living in New Zealand

Detailing the childcare and financial support available for expatriates living in New Zealand with children

New Zealand offers such a fantastic quality of life to its citizens that it is of little wonder that so many people from around the world want to go and live in New Zealand.  As the nation is so popular with expatriates there is a restriction on the number of migrants that the country accepts each year, if you have your heart set on moving to NZ with your family, you need to look closely at your eligibility for a residency visa.

Assuming you and/or your spouse have the skills or qualifications in demand in New Zealand and you have been accepted for relocation, one question that may come into your mind could concern childcare and family financial support for expats living in New Zealand.  The good news is that there is support available and in this article we show you what you can claim.

When raising a family its very difficult for some people to achieve the work/money/home life balance because such financial pressures as a mortgage and car costs for example force both parents out to work.  If you find you’re in this situation you can get your child into nursery in New Zealand if they are of pre-school age.  These state run nurseries or kindergartens are called ‘kindies’ and are overseen by the national Kindergarten Association.  Often the childcare services are free, or parents are asked to make a small financial contribution.

Unfortunately the one downside of these state funded kindies is that waiting lists can be very long indeed, and as a newly arrived expat now living in New Zealand you may find that others have their names down before you.  But don’t despair, there are plenty of private kindergartens available which charge anywhere from NZD 10 an hour upwards.  If you will find it hard to afford such costs you can look to the Working for Families government agency for financial assistance.

Once you have residency in New Zealand and have been living in the nation long enough to qualify for family financial support there is money available specifically for helping with pre-schooling for the under 5’s for example, there are also tax credits available which fall into four categories, namely family tax credit, in-work tax credit, minimum family tax credit and parental tax credit.  You could find you qualify for one or more of these benefits depending on your personal situation. 

Childcare subsidies are also available for up to 50 hours of care a week for preschool children, and there is support available for parents with school age children who require after school care for up to 20 hours a week.  The money available can go towards kindergartens, nannies or childminders for preschool children, and nannies, childminders or after school clubs for school age children.

Finally, depending on how long you have been resident in New Zealand, you and your family may become eligible for an accommodation supplement to help you afford housing in NZ.  The thing is however, if the authorities are assessing you for immigration reasons before you expatriate, one of their concerns will be your ability to support yourself and your dependents.  Having said that, once you’re resident in the nation who’s to say that your circumstances will not change.  So if you find yourself living in New Zealand and requiring financial support to raise your family, don’t be afraid to ask and explore the options available to you.