Sue Moroney

Wellington, June 3 NZPA - Parents using an early childhood education centre opened by Prime Minister John Key last year are facing cost increases of up to $100 a week, the Labour Party says.

Under changes announced in last month's budget, funding for early childhood education centres (ECEs) will be changed from February so there is no incentive for them to have more than 80 percent of staff registered as qualified teachers.

At present they are funded for 100 percent, and the Government says the significant savings will he used to expand participation in the sector.

It has admitted some parents could pay more and its estimates are between $25 and $42 a week -- if the ECEs pass on the cost and don't cut the number of qualified teachers.

Labour's ECE spokeswoman, Sue Moroney, said last night the Living and Learning Family Centre in Mangere had advised that families faced an increase of $20 to $25 a week for each child.

Ms Moroney said 98 percent of the children in the centre were Maori and Pasifika and some families had three or four children there.

"Their costs will increase by $60 to $100 per week," she said.

"Prime Minister John Key officially opened the centre last year but now he wants them to reduce the number of qualified staff they have."

Ms Moroney said the message the Government was sending was that it was okay to have 100 percent qualified staff in areas where parents could afford to pay more, but low income areas should accept a second-rate service.

Education Minister Anne Tolley was grilled about ECEs by opposition MPs yesterday at a meeting of Parliament's education select committee.

She said funding for the centres increased significantly under the previous government and it was up to them to decide how they adjusted to the change.

Mrs Tolley said she didn't believe ECEs would end up charging much more than they did now.