Child Care News
Manager of two early childhood centres falsified staff records to increase funding
Stuff - Kendall Hutt - April 17, 2021A teacher who managed two kaupapa Māori-based early childhood centres has been censured for falsifying staff records in an attempt to increase funding. Patricia Howarth ran Ngā Puna Whakatupu, managed by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, in Auckland and Tokoroa at the time of her serious misconduct. According to a recent New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal decision, at the end of May 2018...
UCOL Wins National Contract To Upskill Home-based Early Childhood Educators
Scoop - Universal College of Learning - April 16, 2021After the success of UCOL’s Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 4) programme, the Ministry of Education has selected UCOL as one of their preferred education providers to upskill Early Childhood Educators across New Zealand. Last year the Government announced that all home-based early childhood educators must hold a New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and...
ECE Needs Flight Plan Overhaul, Not Flying Squads – Early Childhood Council
The Daily Blog - April 13, 2021News the Ministry of Education is bringing back a Provider Assessment Group, a ‘surprise visit’ investigation unit that shut down 17 early learning services will only add to providers’ woes. There’s no question safety and quality comes first, and we can’t tolerate practice that puts children’s safety at risk. Instead of tying providers up in red tape, why not use funding to support them, incentivise the right ...
Unions Call On Government To Improve Work Lives
Scoop - New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - April 13, 2021The Council of Trade Unions wants the government to do more to improve working lives for New Zealanders...Megan White works as a head teacher in early childhood education and is an NZEI member. "As early childhood teachers, we have big hearts. COVID-19 has highlighted our value and also shown how working conditions like sick leave and pay, effect the wellbeing of whole communities...
Early childhood service assessor restoration provokes mixed reactions
RNZ - John Gerritsen - April 12, 2021The Education Ministry is reinstating the Provider Assessment Group, which ceased operations nearly six months ago after a three-year pilot. During that time, the group made surprise spot checks on home-based early learning services, and shut down about 17 sites. Early childhood teacher and campaigner Susan Bates said hundreds of teachers had told her about badly-run early learning centres...
Education Ministry reinstates early childhood care investigation team
RNZ - John Gerritson - April 12, 2021The Education Ministry is reinstating a special squad to investigate financial fraud and safety breaches in early childhood education services. The Provider Assessment Group (PAG) was disbanded nearly six months ago after three years making surprise visits to high-risk early learning services. During that time it investigated 18 home-based providers and an organisation that owned 13 early childhood centres ...
Council fees and red tape blamed for childcare centre being scrapped
Stuff - Chloe Ranford, Local Democracy Report - April 12, 2021Plans for a childcare centre in Blenheim have been scrapped, with the developer blaming council red tape. Land earmarked for the centre has been sold back to the nearby Rose Manor subdivision after developer Chris Thornley said the Marlborough District Council had slowed the project by letting bureaucracy “get in the way of decision-making”, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Real Reason Behind The Early Learning Centre Food Guidelines
Scoop NZ - Press Release: Premium SEO NZ - April 8, 2021It’s highly likely that you have recently heard the new food guidelines for early childcare centres being slammed by the media. Among the list of foods that centres can no longer provide are popcorn, dried fruit, seeds, lollies, and hard rice crackers. Early learning centres do take the health and safety of the children in their care very seriously and that includes the planning and preparation of food...
Early Learning Centre Funding Freeze Turns Ten
Scoop - Early Education Council - April 6, 2021In May, it will be ten years since Early Childhood Education centre funding was frozen. Centre owners and managers hope this unwanted milestone will end in this year’s budget. “Underinvestment is everywhere in early learning. Teacher pay is just starting to be addressed ...
Exploring environmental sustainability through a bicultural lens
New Zealand Tertiary College - Christine Vincent-Snow - April 1, 2021ECE lecturer and lifelong environmentalist Christine Vincent-Snow believes it is important that early childhood teachers understand the significance of promoting and creating sustainable practices within the early childhood setting. In her article ‘Bicultural approaches to sustainability...
Cluster Of Disadvantage Increases Likelihood Of Pre-School Injuries
Scoop NZ - Press Release: University of Auckland - March 30, 2021New research has found that a cluster of disadvantage contributes to injuries in early childhood, but better support to address material need and family stress could help reduce injury rates. The University of Auckland research examined data gathered from more than 6,000...
EVOLVE EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED (NZX: EVO) ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT OF 5 CENTRES AND RETIREMENT OF CEO
Sharechat.co.nz - March 29, 2021Listed New Zealand and Australian childcare and education centre operator Evolve Education Group Limited announced on 5 March 2021 that it had contracted to acquire 10 child care centres in Australia with total licence capacity of 816 children per day. EVO is pleased to ...
Feilding Pitter Patter childcare centre accused of abuse to close after losing licence
RNZ - Charlotte Cook - March 26, 2021A Feilding childcare centre investigated over claims of smacking children and feeding them mouldy food has lost its licence and is set to close. The Pitter Patter Centre run by Pauline Murphy has been under official scrutiny for four months and she was banned from the premises...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Auckland supermarket, childcare centre linked to infected MIQ cleaner
NZ Herald - March 24, 2021A Countdown supermarket in Auckland's CBD was closed for a deep clean after a staff member related to the infected MIQ cleaner was believed to have tested positive for Covid. Countdown Quay St was closed at midday yesterday. Countdown spokeswoman Kiri Hannifin...
Honour for early childhood educator
NZ Catholic - March 24, 2021Afamasaga Vaafusuaga Telesia McDonald Alipia (daughter of the late Vito and Sofia, catechists in Samoa) has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the New Year Honours, for her distinguished contribution to Pacific early childhood education...
