Child Care News
Coronavirus: Early childhood centre owner wouldn't send her own kids back to daycare under level 3
Newshub - Dan Satherley, Mel Logan - April 23, 2020The owner of an early childhood education centre (ECE) said she wouldn't send her own kids back until the Government was certain there was no risk at all from catching COVID-19. ECEs and schools are set to reopen when the country exits the level 4 pandemic lockdown...
Hawke's Bay early childhood centres prepare for alert level 3
NZ Herald - Hawke's Bay Today - April 23, 2020Playdough, water play and other messy activities will be banned from a Hawke's Bay early childhood education centre, as others ponder reopening under alert level 3. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that schools...
New Zealand Kindergartens And Early Childhood Services Prepare For Next Week’s Opening
Scoop - April 23, 2020New Zealand Kindergartens (NZK) and Early Childhood Leadership Group (ECL) say they’re working hard to ensure their services throughout the country are prepared for the move to Alert Level 3 level next Tuesday morning. Their kindergartens, centres and home-based services...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Officials relent - childcare playgrounds will be open after all
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - April 23, 2020Government officials have reversed their position on banning children in childcare centres from using playground equipment in alert level 3 after industry complaints. The change comes after the Ministry of Education sought public health advice from the Ministry of Health...
Inspired Kindergartens Moves To Accommodate Level 3 COVID-19Response
Scoop NZ - Press Release - April 22, 2020Inspired Kindergartens welcomes the government’s announcement regarding moving to level three of its COVID-19 response. We are working towards opening our kindergartens on Wednesday 29 April for those children who need to attend. Inspired Kindergartens Association has 21 kindergartens...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Jacinda Ardern's former school Morrinsville College warns parents to keep kids at home
NZ Herald - Derek Cheng - April 22, 2020Last night the Health Ministry released a report saying that the limited health benefits of closing education institutions were outweighed by the severe impacts on health, education, economic and social inequities. Some early childhood learning centres and many teachers...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Childcare centres refuse to reopen on April 29
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - April 21, 2020The country's biggest childcare organisation is still advising its members to stay closed when schools and early childhood services officially reopen their doors on April 29. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that schools and early childhood centres will open for children...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Early learning centres face a minefield of challenges to reopen
NZ Herald - Ben Leahy - April 21, 2020When Kiwi toddlers get together, they really mix, sharing toys, books and often germs - so how do you keep them safe from Covid-19 infection in early childhood centres. Most centres admit they don't yet know all the answers ahead of their reopening next Tuesday when the country exits...
He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens – Press Release
Scoop NZ - Press Release - April 20, 2020Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens welcomes the government’s announcement about a move to level three of its response. We are working to a plan for opening our kindergartens for those children who need to come from Wednesday next week. Whānau Manaaki Kindergarten Association...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Childcare centres want to stay closed at alert level 3
NZ Herald - April 19, 2020New Zealand's childcare centres have asked the Government to let them stay closed at level 3 of the coronavirus alert system because of the risk of spreading the virus. Early Childhood Council chief executive Peter Reynolds has written to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying that early childhood...
Covid 19 coronavirus: School at level 3 won't be voluntary after all
NZ Herald - April 18, 2020Parents will be told when their children are going back to school, rather than being given a choice in whether to attend classes. Officials admitted to a "mis-step" in the way rules for level 3 in the coronavirus alert system were communicated this week. Going back to school will not be "voluntary"...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Ministry of Education releases more information on return to school
NZ Herald - April 18, 2020Education chiefs are developing a system for parents needing to put their children back in school once the Covid-19 alert level drops to 3. The Ministry of Education today released more information on what a potential drop from alert level 4 to level 3 means for school children, who have been...
Coronavirus: What does level 3 mean for early childhood education and schools?
Stuff - Georgia Forrester - April 17, 2020Work is under way to refine the advice for early education centres and providers who could be operating under alert level 3 in the future. For now, New Zealand remains under alert level 4. But there's a chance it might step down an alert level next week, depending on how the Government's ...
High demand for caregivers to assist essential workers with family needs
Stuff - Rachel Moore - April 17, 2020There are too many children of essential workers who need childcare and not enough caregivers to do it. Edubase, Porse and Barnados are the nationwide providers contracted to arrange care for children whose parents work in essential roles such as medicine, emergency services and...
Concern early childhood centres will be a breeding ground for Covid-19 outbreaks
Stuff - April 17, 2020Some early childhood teachers fear their centres could become major breeding grounds for Covid-19 outbreaks if they are allowed to reopen after lockdown restrictions are loosened. The government has said children up to year 10 should stay home if they can when level 3 comes in...
