Minister for Children Tracey Martin has put the blame for cuts to children's charity at the feet of the previous Government, but KidsCan's bosses are painting a different picture of the situation.

National's Paula Bennett accused the new government of axing a programme specifically aimed at helping kids who need it most.

"This is another example of Labour's ideological stance against partnership models. KidsCan is a shining example of how corporate and public funds combined can achieve great outcomes," she said.

"I implore the government to rethink this terrible decision."

But Ms Martin said Ms Bennett's previous National government had not allocated any money for KidsCan after June.

"My understanding is that Oranga Tamariki informed them that it would not be seeking new money for them in the budget. That was an operational decision by the ministry," she said in a statement.

"I've only just become aware of this issue and I have asked officials to provide me a briefing on this relationship and the funding issues.

"This government values organisations that provide real help to children and KidsCan has obviously done some great work with a lot of kids."

Oranga Tamariki says no final decisions have been made about future funding.

But KidsCan executive Julie Chapman said she had only been told a week ago that the funding, worth $350,000 a year, would end on July 1.

She denied suggestions the funding had been time-limited.

"We did have some time-limited funding a few years ago [but] that ended a few years ago and since then our funding [has] gone into baseline funding," she told Three's AM Show.

"We had every reason to think that would continue, until last Thursday."

The money would allow the charity to support 35 new schools in 2018, she said.

"Effectively that means we will have to halve our efforts next year and children will go without food, clothing, basic health and hygiene items, girls will go without feminine hygiene products."

- NZ Newswire