Child Care News
Choosing childcare: A day in the life of an early childhood teacher
NZ Herald - Nick Batley, Glenfield Early Learning Centre - July 4, 2020I left school in 1996 to work in the printing and bindery industry, but at the age of 29 in mid-2009 I was made redundant as the industry was at a low and I was no longer needed where I was employed. I was at a time in my life where change needed to happen, so I decided to...
Choosing childcare: How to decide what's best for your child
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - July 4, 2020Keryn Grogan tried every kind of childcare for her two children, but realised in the end that it came down to love. Her son Xavier, now 7, stayed at a playcentre until he started school because Grogan worked only part-time and was able to spend time at the playcentre with him...
'Freak accident' at daycare left 4-year-old with 'split' eyeball, vision loss
Stuff - Hannah Martin - July 4, 2020A child may struggle with her vision for the rest of her life after her eyeball was “split corner-to-corner” in a “freak accident”. In February 2019, Skyla McDonald, then 4, from Auckland, was at daycare when an object hit her in her right eye. Mum Michelle Bartlett is telling their story...
Union says loophole means some early childhood teachers won't get pay rise
1 news - Imogen Wells - July 3, 2020The $151 million earmarked in this year’s Budget was supposed to go towards pay increases, but the NZEI said a loophole means some of the cash is getting spent elsewhere. On May 21, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins said the funding was earmarked to improve teachers' ...
Rotorua childcare centres have fun putting together pātaka kai
NZ Herald - Shauni James, Rotorua Weekender - July 3, 2020Local childcare centres have been working hard to make a difference in the community, and help ensure people don't go hungry, by setting up pātaka kai. Pātaka kai means storehouse pantry in te reo Māori. These pātaka kai allow locals to either donate food/goods or...
Choosing childcare: Price war for children as new daycare centres open just as attendance plummets
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - July 3, 2020Even before the Covid-19 lockdown, a price war for children was raging on Auckland's northwestern fringe. After the lockdown, the price war has only intensified, as explosive growth of new daycare centres planned before Covid comes to fruition at a time when demand has...
Early Childhood Services Do Strive To Increase Pay For All Staff
Scoop - Press Release Early Childhood New Zealand - July 2, 2020From 1 July 2020, education and care services will receive the additional funding through a 2.3% increase in their subsidy rates. Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the funding was specifically for early learning services to improve the pay of up to 17,000 qualified teachers...
Choosing childcare: Can you afford daycare for another child?
NZ Herald - Tamsyn Parker - July 1, 2020Private centre, home-based care, playcentre, kindergarten … the world of early childhood education is a complex and often expensive minefield. No wonder parents and caregivers are overwhelmed when it comes to the best options for under 5s. With most mums and dads...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Childcare teachers' hours cut due to Covid fears
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - June 30, 2020Childcare teachers working for Evolve Education have been asked to move on to flexible-hours contracts which their union says are illegal. The company, which reported a $13.3 million loss in the year to March 31 last week, has been hit by lower attendance rates as some parents...
Large early childhood education provider accused of pushing unlawful contract on teachers
TVNZ 1 news - Laura James - June 30, 2020The second-largest early childhood education provider in New Zealand is being accused of pushing an unlawful contract on its teachers. Evolve Education has more than 2000 staff across its 128 centres nationwide, which includes Lollipops, Pascals, Learning Adventures, Little Wonders...
Fears $151m pay bump for early childhood teachers might not entirely go to salaries
Stuff - Henry Cooke - June 30, 2020The teachers union is worried that a $151m Government pay bump for early childhood (ECE) teachers due to start tomorrow might not actually end up in their pockets. And because much of the early childhood sector operates at an arm's length from the Government, there are...
More paid parental leave, free apprenticeships, and bigger petrol bills - all you need to know about July 1 changes
NZ Herald - Isaac Davison - June 30, 2020Parents of newborns can get an additional month of paid leave from tomorrow, as part of a raft of changes which kick in on July 1. Some of the changes will put more money in New Zealanders' pockets or provide relief, including higher pay for childcare teachers, free apprenticeships...
Kindergartens Call For More Funding For Non-Kindergarten Services
Scoop - Press Release Kindergartens Aotearoa - June 30, 2020Kindergartens Aotearoa, a collective representing more than half of New Zealand’s kindergartens, supports funding increases for non-kindergarten early childhood education services as long as it comes with pay parity. Private employers are saying it is unfair that kindergartens...
Choosing childcare: From daycare to kindergarten - what are the options?
NZ Herald - June 30, 2020When Brian Moore applied for a new job at accounting firm Ernst and Young, he negotiated a four-day week so that he could go to Playcentre on Tuesdays. Moore and his wife have a son Griffin, 2½, and an 8-month-old baby. He takes Griffin to the Eden-Epsom Playcentre on ...
Choosing childcare: Price war for children as early childhood education attendance struggles to recover from lockdown
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - June 29, 2020Childcare centres are offering big discounts for new customers as centres open up in fast-growing suburbs just as demand falls due to Covid-19. Four out of 13 centres in the expanding Kumeū-Huapai area in northwest Auckland are offering 50% discounts for new children...
