Nurturing Futures: Investing in Your Child's Early Years

Fees

Choosing the right early childhood education for your tamaiti is a big decision. At Four Seasons, our fee policy is designed to offer quality education built on the Steiner Waldorf approach, while supporting meaningful connections between tamariki, whānau and our teaching team.

Enrolment Fee

A one-off fee of $50 secures your child's place, payable upon confirmation of space.

Age-Appropriate Fees

For tamariki under 3, the daily fee is $74.00 for a 6-hour day. For children aged 3-6, an optional charge of $20.00 per day applies on top of the 20 hours funded by the Ministry of Education. A minimum enrolment of 3 days a week is required for all tamariki, so they can settle into a sense of belonging and rhythm in the kindergarten day.

About the optional charge

At Four Seasons, we deeply value the commitment of early childhood, giving tamariki the slow, gentle space they need in these first years. This is central to who we are, and it comes with real costs that sit outside of what Government funding covers. The $20 per day charge goes toward all meals, parent education, seasonal festivals, our Steiner Waldorf special character, and most importantly, our 1:7 adult to child ratio with only 20 tamariki per day. Additionally, growing, harvesting, preparing and eating meals together as a group is core to our philosophy.

This charge is based on your enrolled days, not attendance. If a family decides not to pay it, that's fine, though we'd ask that they provide their own food for their tamaiti rather than draw on our shared meals, along with koha toward parent evenings and festivals where they can.

We know there are other services where no optional charge is asked for at all. Ours is a different model, one that asks a little more of our whānau so we can keep offering this kind of care, at 20 tamariki a day, with the ratios that make it possible. If the charge is a barrier to enrolment, please talk to us before you commitment to enrolling and starting with us so we can work toward a solution together. Should your circumstances change during your time with us, our Hardship Policy guides our relationship.

Ministry of Education Funding

All tamariki aged 3, 4 and 5 are eligible for 20 funded hours through the Ministry of Education. At present, the Ministry does not fund 2-year-olds, which is why their daily fee is higher.

Additional Charges for Extended Hours

For hours beyond the 20 funded hours, a charge of $9.00 per hour applies.

Bush Kindy

On days our Bush Kindy programme runs, an additional charge of approximately $20 per session applies. It's a chance for tamariki to connect with the natural environment and build a sense of stewardship.

Casual Attendance

Casual attendance outside your normal enrolment is available at $74.00 per day, space permitting. This may cost less if you have ECE hours left to use outside your regular days.

Example fees

2-year-olds: 3 days $222/week, 4 days $296/week, 5 days $370/week
3, 4 and 5-year-olds: 3 days $60/week, 4 days $116/week, 5 days $190/week

Government support through FamilyBoost

If you're enrolled with us, you may be able to claim some of your fees back through FamilyBoost, a rebate run by Inland Revenue.

FamilyBoost refunds 40% of what you pay in ECE fees, up to $120 a week or $1,560 a quarter. It's paid in full to households earning under $140,000 a year, and it reduces gradually up to around $229,000 a year.

For tamariki on the 20 ECE hours (ages 3 to 5), this means claiming back up to $76 a week on the $20 daily optional charge, depending on your enrolled days. For 2-year-olds, who aren't yet funded through 20 hours, the rebate can be worth up to the full $120 a week cap.

You pay your fees as normal, then register once with myIR and claim your rebate after each quarter ends. We automatically email you a statement of your fees at the end of each quarter to support your claim.

Register and find out more, and use IRD's own calculator to work out your exact entitlement, at ird.govt.nz/familyboost.

Correct as of September 2026 and subject to change as per our fee and enrolment policy.