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Our Advocacy

Parent information display on an early childhood centre wall (NZ)
Our Advocacy

Harder to Speak Up, Harder to Check: The End to Rules Requiring Display of a Complaints Procedure, Key Regulations, and Teacher Name and Qualification Info

The rules that once required centres to display key information - such as the names and qualifications of teachers, the regulations they must follow, and…
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who can pick up and collect a child
Our Advocacy

Major changes to the Early Childhood Sector – Here’s What’s at Stake

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…
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Infant with book
Our Advocacy

Submission to the Education and Workforce Committee on the Education and Training (Early Childhood Education Reform) Amendment Bill

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…
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breach of trust crying sad child
Our Advocacy

Horrifying injuries, harmful sexualised behaviour and teachers talking about rape in front of children: What complaints about ECE services tell us about the state of the sector

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…
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The Ole Schoolhouse early childhood centre in Rotorua - a happy place
Our Advocacy

Teacher pay parity “myth” explained: What parents should know about what ECE teachers earn

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…
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Infant with book
Our Advocacy

Submission to the Ministry for Regulation on the ECE Regulations Review

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…
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choosing and finding childcare
Our Advocacy

Parents Alarmed by Optional Standards Proposal for Early Childhood Services

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…
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choices early childhood education chairs empty
Our Advocacy

Making Choices in Early Childhood Education a Gamble

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…
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Key

Community Ownership:
Parents likely have a strong say in how the service operates and what happens to children, all money earnt stays within it, and teachers may be paid better and childcare charges may be lower compared to most (but not necessarily all) private and corporate owned services. (Ask: Is it an Incorporated Society? Does it also have charitable status?)

Small Boutique Centre:
Centres with 50 or fewer children make it easier for staff to provide a warm and nurturing environment, for children to have their individual needs met and skills, knowledge, and competencies extended. (Ask: For continuity of care and relationships, do children stay with the same group of children and teachers throughout their time at the service?)

100% Qualified Teacher Funded:
All staff counted toward meeting the minimum adult-child ratio requirement must hold a practising certificate as a teacher if the service receives this level of Ministry of Education funding. (Ask: Does the service count teachers trained in the ECE of children birth to 5 years and not primary or secondary school trained teachers?)

Men Included on Teaching Staff (as at last year):
There are strong benefits of having both men and women on the teaching team for the quality of care and education a service provides to children. Additionally, gender bias in staff recruitment and employment is not generally acceptable in society today. (Ask: How many teaching staff are employed and what proportion are men?).

Clean Licence Record (last year and the year before):
To be licensed a service must comply with regulations that help ensure children’s safety, care, and a suitable standard of education. When requirements are breached the Ministry of Education may downgrade a service’s licence to provisional or issue a suspension. (Check the lists of services placed on a provisional or suspended licence https://oece.nz/public/information/standards/ published each year)

Recommended Highly by 80% or More Families:
At least 80% of families recommend the service and rate it as being very good to excellent on a range of aspects of quality. (Note that a response rate of at least 51% families on the OECE parent survey https://oece.nz/public/information/resources/parent-survey/ research instrument within the last three years is necessary here)

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