Child Care News
New early childhood centre opens after lockdown delays
Stuff - George Heagney - May 25, 2020A new early childhood education centre has sprung up in a growing part of Palmerston North after the national lockdown delayed its start. The Ruahine Kindergarten Association has just opened the Summerhill Early Learning centre on Ruapehu Drive, the association's 25th kindergarten...
Preschool teacher fee hike could leave centres short of staff: lobby
NZ Herald - Ben Leahy - May 23, 2020Teachers could leave preschools just when they are most needed following the Covid-19 lockdown due to a big jump in the cost of their teaching fees, an industry body says. Teaching Council certification fees are set to jump 113%next February, when they rise from a $220.80 fee paid ...
Coronavirus: Children and parents welcome the return of preschools at level 2
Stuff - Lee Kenny - May 22, 2020Some excited Kiwi children returned to preschool this week after almost two months at home, but many are being kept away a while longer. Attendance rates varied across the country, but on average 57 per cent of under-5s were back at early childhood education (ECE) centres from Monday...
Budget 2020: $278 million funding boost for early childhood education centres with 100 per cent qualified teachers
NZ Herald - May 19, 2020Higher subsidies for preschools with 100 per cent qualified teachers have been restored for the first time in a decade. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins have announced a $278 million funding boost over the next four years for ECE services with fully qualified staff.
Budget 2020: $278 million funding boost for early childhood education centres with 100 per cent qualified teachers
NZ Herald - May 18, 2020Higher subsidies for preschools with 100 per cent qualified teachers have been restored for the first time in a decade. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins have announced a $278 million funding boost over the next four years for early childhood education services ...
Study into Covid-19's impact on children
Star News - May 18, 2020A Christchurch researcher and paediatrician is launching a study to determine what information parents need to understand and feel reassured about Covid-19 and its potential impact on children. The study comes as all children go back to school today. Tony Walls, a researcher and paediatric...
Parents get 'emotional' dropping kids off at school after weeks of learning in lockdown
Newshub - Lana Andelane - May 18, 2020Monday marks the first day back at school for many students across New Zealand as daycare centres, primary schools, intermediates, colleges and universities reopen their doors after weeks of lockdown. Parents outside Peekaboo Childcare Centre at 7am in Pinehill told our reporter...
Major boost in support for caregivers and children
Mirage News - May 17, 2020A major increase in funding and availability of support will improve the incomes and reduce the pressure on 14,000 caregivers looking after more than 22,000 children. Children’s Minister Tracey Martin says that caregivers – all those looking after someone else’s children both in and...
Coronavirus: Newest New Zealand case a preschool-aged child from Canterbury
NewsHub - Rachel Sadler - May 17, 2020New Zealand's latest COVID-19 case is a preschool-aged child from Canterbury. His was the only new case announced by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on Sunday and it is linked to the Rosewood Rest Home cluster as a household contact of an earlier case. The MoH website says he is aged...
Budget 2020: Government spends $813.6 million on education
Stuff - Mandy Te Bridie Witton - May 14, 2020The education sector has been allocated $813.6 million in the Government's 2020 Budget. The Government has also set aside $375.1m towards subsidies for Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres, trades academies and tertiary education. The money would also go to school operation grants...
Early learning services funding boost
Otago Daily Times - Hamish MacLean - May 12, 2020Schools across the South will be ready to roll out the welcome mat as "a new safe normal" greets pupils returning on Monday. And yesterday’s announcement by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was made a little sweeter for some in the early childhood education sector. Minister of Education...
Many Kindergartens Open On Thursday May 14 In Level 2
Scoop - Press Release: New Zealand Kindergartens - May 12, 2020Member Associations of New Zealand Kindergartens say they want to support parents returning to work this Thursday with the move to Level 2 and have had time to thoroughly prepare. “Our teachers over the past couple of weeks have had time to get everything ready on site and have been ...
Large pay bump for early childhood teachers in pre-budget announcement
Stuff - Henry Cooke - May 11, 2020Up to 17,000 early childhood teachers are set to receive a substantial pay bump as part of a $320m package announced by the Government today. The $151m pay bump will bring qualified early childhood teachers who aren't teaching in kindergartens minimum salary up to $49,862 on July 1...
Kindergartens Ready And Willing To Return
Scoop - May 8, 2020Kindergartens Aotearoa welcomes the announcement that all early childhood services will open under Covid-19 Level 2, and will be ready to welcome children back. Kindergartens have already been open for those children who needed to attend, and children at home have been supported ...
Coronavirus: Educators welcome reopening of schools and ECE centres
Stuff - Mandy Te - May 7, 2020Students from across the country could soon be heading back to school after the prime minister announced they would all be reopened under level 2. On Thursday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern provided the framework for schools and early learning services to operate at level 2. Students and teachers...
