Child Care News
Early Childhood Council wants government support for preschoolers during Omicron outbreak
Stuff NZ - February 26, 2022The country’s children aged under 5 aren’t being supported during the latest Covid-19 outbreak, the Early Childhood Council says. CEO Simon Laube said if schools needed extra support then it followed that early learning centres did too. “Chris Hipkins said...
Early childhood centres fear closures as Omicron spreads
RNZ - John Gerritsen - February 25, 2022Early childhood centres are worried they will run out of teachers as Omicron spreads. Groups representing early learning service owners and managers said there was already a teacher shortage and many services would not be able to find enough relievers to stay open if the virus...
Situation Critical For Children’s Early Childhood Education And Care
Scoop - February 21, 2022Tamariki are at risk of missing out on vital early childhood education and care with worsening teacher shortages and some services facing closure under Covid-19 requirements. Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood Education chief executive Kathy Wolfe says that in a December...
Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: Early learning centres warn of 'mass closures' due to lack of RAT testing
NZ Herald - February 19, 2022Early learning centres are warning "mass closures" loom due to the lack of access to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs). It comes after the Ministry of Education reported on Thursday at least 320 schools and early learning centres were fighting Covid-19 cases...
Parents' negative school experiences could affect their child's education, research finds
Stuff NZ - Lee Kenny - February 17, 2022Many people remember their first day at school, and now a major research project has been carried out to ensure Canterbury youngsters get the best possible start to their education. Teachers in Christchurch and Kaiapoi in North Canterbury were involved in...
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Covid case at Gore school; preschool closes over scare
NZ Herald, February 15, 2022A Gore Main School class is self-isolating after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend. The news comes after Musselburgh School in Dunedin was the first school in the South to be hit by a positive Covid case among its pupils...
'Either we leave our jobs ... or come up with a solution': Northern Southland kindy reopens
Stuff NZ - Blair Jackson - February 15, 2022When a northern Southland kindergarten closed with a fortnight’s notice Cara Colquhoun thought she would have to stop working to look after her 4-year-old daughter. Instead, a group of mothers took one day a week to look after eight children at home...
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Almost 100 cases across schools as communities adapt to new normal
NZ Herald - February 12, 2022More than 100 Covid-19 cases are among school communities and early childhood services as teachers and staff adapt to the disruption brought by infections popping up in their communities. Covid-19 cases have been identified at a number of schools...
New Christchurch supermarket subdivision opens for expression of interest
Stuff NZ - Brianna Mcilraith - February 9, 2022A 21 hectare development in Christchurch, which will include a supermarket, retail and food space and apartment has opened for expressions of interest. The development will include a 3,765 square metre Countdown supermarket, medical centre, childcare facility...
Covid-19: Some playcentres enforce mask rules despite no mandate
RNZ - February 8, 2022Some parents are worried mask rules for playcentres are unsafe and they are wearing them even though they do not have to. Playcentres are run by parents and follow the same Covid-19 rules as licensed early childhood centres (ECE) run by teachers...
'We need our daycares to survive': Preschools under pressure as parents keep kids home
Stuff NZ - Wei Shao - February 4, 2022All children aged over 3 can get up to 20 hours of early childhood education fully funded by the Ministry of Education. They can get an exemption so funding continues while the country is in the red setting. But the exemption cannot be used for children under 3. Stacey...
How do masks affect babies' development?
Stuff NZ - Cecile Meier - February 3, 2022Emerging research on the topic has found no evidence that masking has a negative impact on babies’ emotional, cognitive and social development, Henderson said. “What researchers are finding is that babies are really sensitive to eye gaze and tone of voice,” she said...
Covid-19 Omicron: Should children as young as 2 be wearing masks?
Stuff NZ - Georgia Forrester - January 27, 2022Public health experts and paediatricians agree there are a range of measures that can be put in place to help protect young children who cannot be vaccinated themselves. These include adult vaccinations, well-ventilated settings, and time spent outdoors. In the US...
Early Learning Sector Needs Ventilation Support Like Schools
Scoop - January 26, 2022The Early Childhood Council is calling for the ventilation support on offer for schools to be expanded to support early learning providers. “Early learning providers urgently need assessment of their accommodation to determine where ventilation issues may exist...
How to protect those under 5 years old against Covid
Stuff NZ - Jo Lines-MacKenzie - January 26, 2022Those under the age of 5 years old don’t have the option of the Covid-19 vaccination to help them through the pandemic. So how do parents protect them as Omicron looms? Waikato District Health Board’s medical officer of health Dr Felicity Dumble said she understands...
