Parent Access to Information on their Child, and the ECE Service’s Funding and Operation
© myECE.org.nz.
Parent Support and Information.
Early childhood services must advise parents on how they can access information concerning their child. Services must also advise parents on how they can access copies of operational documents (including its philosophy, policies, and procedures), and the most recent Education Review Office report.
Information that must be provided to parents
The service must provide parents with written information on each of the following.
- How they can be involved in the service.
- Planned reviews and consultation before changes are implemented (e.g., of policies, of staffing, changes to practices such as how morning-teas are organised, etc).
- The fees charged by the service.
- The amount and details of how the service is spending the money it receives from the Ministry of Education. The frequency that a service must supply information and how detailed the information should be is not specified in the requirements. However, it is a legal requirement for all services to give parents financial information on the amount of funding received and what it has been spent on, and therefore a parent’s request for this information at any time cannot be refuse
Home-based services must additionally inform parents in writing on whether or not out-of-school care will be provided in the educator’s home while their child is attending.
Note that as the service’s budget and annual plan is required documentation, the service must make these documents available to parents as appropriate as well as to Government officials having right of entry to the service.
Opportunities to be involved
The service must record, i.e., have evidence of opportunities it provides to parents to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents.
There is no requirement that services invite parents to be involved in their child’s learning, in the day-to-day programme, or participate in any special activities such as for celebrating Matariki at the service.
Failing to meet minimum standards
The Ministry of Education needs to know:
- If you are concerned children’s needs are not being met.
- If you are concerned a service is not meeting a minimum legal requirement.
READ MORE: How to make a complaint and your options.
CAUTION: This page and the information here is provided as part of the My ECE Guide to Early Childhood Service Regulations and Licensing Criteria for Parents (The Guide). The Guide does not purport to be a full and accurate interpretation of all statutory provisions relating to early childhood education services. While best efforts have been used in preparing this guide, no representations or warranties of any kind are made and My ECE assumes no liabilities of any kind with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the content. Please note that the Government and Ministry of Education may change, update, or alter any of the requirements at any time. Please help to keep the information on this page up to date by letting us know of changes that need to be made.
Thank you! Kia pai te rā
Reference:
My ECE Guide to Early Childhood Service Regulations and Licensing Criteria for Parents. Prepared by Dr Sarah Alexander and Warwick Marshall.022
