Our Advocacy

The rules that once required centres to display key information – such as the names and qualifications of teachers, the regulations they must follow, and how to make a complaint (including concerns about breaches of regulation) – have been stripped back. What used to be visible at a glance will now sit behind layers of “ask us if you want it.”

Many proposals to reshape early childhood education (ECE) are not in the best interests of our babies and young children. They also ignore the issues families care about most.

ECE Parents’ Council Aotearoa represents parents and caregivers across Aotearoa New Zealand who are committed to high-quality, accessible, and safe early childhood education (ECE) for our tamariki. 

We oppose the Education and Training (Early Childhood Education Reform) Amendment Bill in its entirety and respectfully submit that it should not proceed.

A child escaping from a centre by digging under the fence, multiple instances of toddlers breaking bones twice in a matter of months, and allegations of inappropriate handling of a child’s sexualised behaviour are among complaints about ECE services made through MyECE, the website for the ECE Parents’ Council.

The teacher pay parity “myth” explained. If you’ve ever Googled “how much are early childhood teachers paid” – or you’ve just consumed a lot of

Parents are a main stakeholder in ECE. Parents views have long been overlooked in policy and decision-making regarding ECE issues. We believe that regulations are necessary. Not only are regulations necessary, but compliance also needs to be regularly monitored and enforced.

Parents across the motu are deeply concerned about the proposal to make fundamental requirements for early childhood services optional. The ECE Parents Council spokesperson, Michelle De Bono said that standards are not just checkboxes; they are the backbone of quality care and education and making them optional would jeopardise children’s well-being and development.

Relying on strangers to take good care of their childis a gamble that thousands of families take. Some ECE services tick more boxes for quality and are more focused on providing well for children and families than others.