New Zealand has a wide range of early childhood services – some run by private operators, and others by community church groups and voluntary agencies. The majority of New Zealand children attend pre-school centers from 4 years of age, with facilities available from birth if necessary. As a parent, you will usually be encouraged to be involved, making this an excellent way of meeting other families and new friends.

Kindergartens

Kindergarten groups are informal, with a focus on developing social skills and learning through play. Most kindergartens have two to three trained teachers, and provide early childhood education for children from the age of three to five years.

Some kindergartens have waiting lists – children can be placed on the waiting list from the age of two years. Attendance is either morning or afternoon sessions, with morning sessions usually held five times a week and afternoon sessions being held three. Most open from 8:45am to 11:45am and from 12:45pm to 3:30pm

Kindergartens do not formally charge fees, but a donation and help with fundraising is generally expected – as is parent assistance in helping with class supervision and committee work.

Education and Care Centres

With education and care centres, care is usually charged on the basis of a weekly or daily fee, although an hourly fee will apply for casual care. These centres include both standard facilities and specialist childcare centres, such as those run by Montessori and Rudolph Steiner schools.

They run full-day or sessional (up to four hours a day) care and are open for up to eight or nine hours (between 7:30am and 6:00pm). Some centres offer care in morning or afternoon sessions. Centres are licensed to take either under two-year-olds, over two-year-olds or a combination of both age groups.

Playcentres

With playcentres, parents are closely involved in both running the centre and working with the children during session times.

Individual playcentres organise their own session times with one to ten sessions per week. Children can attend up to five sessions per week. Fees are set by each centre, and parents run the sessions on a roster. The centre is run as a parent co-operative, and parents can train for supervising sessions at a playcentre.

Where to Get More Information

Unlike primary and secondary schools, not all these services automatically receive state funding. State funding is normally provided only if the service is licensed and has a 'charter' that formally sets out educational policies. The Ministry of Education sets licensing standards which include minimum ratios of staff to children, and restrictions on class sizes. Centres are regularly monitored by the Education Review Office (ERO).

The Ministry of Education (MOE) provides local contacts and free advice on the range of early childhood services available. Local Citizens Advice Bureau or Plunket can also be useful sources of information.