A Child Care Tool Kit for First Time Parents

Benefits & Subsidies

Our Overview of Child Care Costs and Government Funding article offers a summary of the types of financial assistance available along with eligibility requirements.

Finding and choosing quality child care

Finding high quality child care when and where you need it is an issue for all working parents and this summary of New Zealand's Types of Child Care is a great place to start your research. When you have figured out what type of care you’d like register for a free Vacancy Alert subscription to receive notifications when a place comes up in your preferred child care centre. 

You'll also want a rough idea about the price of different types of care, along with standard inclusions, and this article on the cost of child care offers a helpful overview.

If you have a clear idea of what sort of care you would like and haven't been able to source it, read What to do when you can't find child care? It provides some different scenarios that may be worth considering.

Gone are the days when parents could pick and choose between child care providers and wait listing has become a fact of life. The Great Waiting Game contains ideas on how to navigate your way to the top of the list.

Balancing Competing Pressures

Balancing the competing pressures of work and home life can be tricky and Things to Consider When Returning to Work will hopefully give you some insight on factors you may not have considered.

Helping Your Child Adjust to Child Care offers tips and tricks for making the first day in care happy and as stress-free as possible for all of you.

Most kids get sick when they enter group care for the first time. Keeping Your Child Healthy in Care offers tips for preventing illness and will help you prepare for the inevitable sick day when it happens.

Mother guilt is common among parents sending their child off to care for the first time. Read this article for some tips on how to plan for and combat those unhelpful guilty thoughts.