Child Care News
Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds of childcare centres hit by lockdown to get insurance payout
NZ Herald - Sharon Brettkelly of RNZ - March 27, 2020More than 1500 childcare centres, kindergartens and play centres have insurance cover through New Zealand insurer Crombie Lockwood. Those with business interruption cover under their Child Proof scheme policies will receive up to 25 per cent of annual turnover of up to $250,000...
Parents plan changes as child care centres close
Otago Daily Times - Emma Perry - March 26, 2020Lucy Elder (1) was the last remaining little one in child care yesterday. Beststart Montessori The Gardens in Dunedin was open for business, but only for children of essential workers. Manager Rachael Harkness said Lucy was the only child who fitted the bill, but most of the staff ...
Covid-19 coronavirus: Government will fund home-based childcare for essential workers
NZ Herald - March 25, 2020The Government has agreed to fund home-based childcare for children of essential workers who can't arrange their own care during the coronavirus lockdown. It has made initial agreements to provide the care through home-based agencies Porse, Barnardos and Edubase/Home Grown Kids...
Covid-19 coronavirus: Nurses still can't find childcare for their children
NZ Herald - March 25, 2020A husband-and-wife nursing couple have still not been able to find childcare for their children before the country goes into lockdown at midnight tonight. Suresh Vengetaraman, a mental health nurse, and Navaneetha Jeyavel, a hospital nurse who works shifts, have two children...
Coronavirus: Childcare fees waived during lockdown, centres confirm
Stuff - Laine Moger - March 24, 2020Childcare fees are expected to be waived across the country, while the nation heads into a four week lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19. This meant all education institutions would be closed from 11.59pm on Wednesday, including daycare and early childcare education centres...
Coronavirus: What you need to know about school and uni closures
RNZ - March 24, 2020From Thursday, all schools, tertiary providers and early learning centres will be shut as the country moves into a lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19. The ramping up of the alert level yesterday and announcement of the move to level four has people rushing to make arrangements...
Coronavirus: Essential service workers scramble to find childcare
Stuff - Lee Kenny - March 24, 2020Workers essential to running New Zealand during a four-week shutdown are scrambling to find childcare in time with schools closed. The Covid-19 alert will be raised to level 4 at 11.59pm on Wednesday, meaning all non-essential businesses and services must close. However...
Coronavirus: How nannies and special caregivers can keep helping with childcare amid COVID-19 lockdown
NewsHub - Alice Wilkins - March 24, 2020The secretary of education on Tuesday clarified nanny's and special caregivers can continue to help families with childcare throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. One nannying agency says it's been inundated with calls from parents who require urgent childcare as schools shut...
Coronavirus lockdown: What it means for schools, universities and other education facilities
NZ Herald - March 23, 2020All schools and Early Childhood Education Centres will be closed from midnight tomorrow and tertiary institutions will as soon as possible amid the Covid-19 lockdown. The exception is for the children of identified essential workers who can continue going to school until midnight on Wednesday...
Coronavirus: Childcare centres expected to wipe parent fees
NZ Herald - March 23, 2020Childcare centres are expected to write off parents' fees even if they have contracts requiring parents to pay fees when their children don't attend. All early childhood services have been ordered to shut because of the coronavirus by tonight, except for children of workers in essential services...
Coronavirus Covid-19: More than a quarter of NZ students stay home
NZ Herald - March 23, 2020The President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation says roughly 25 to 40 per cent of students across the country have stayed home today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is today under pressure to close schools as the Teaching Council calls for all schools to close immediately...
Coronavirus: Family says China is now safer than NZ for their children
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 18, 2020A Chinese family on Auckland's North Shore has decided to take their children back to China, joining a small trickle of parents starting to withdraw children from New Zealand childcare centres because of coronavirus. Two playcentres - Herne Bay in Auckland and Ōpunake...
Coronavirus: Send your kids to school – it's the safest place for them, says Education Minister Chris Hipkins
NZ Herald - March 18, 2020Send your kids to school, they're safe there – that's the message to parents from Education Minister Chris Hipkins. But in the effort to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, parents should consider making other arrangements for the school holidays if they had planned for...
Families of absentee pupils over-reacting to coronavirus - Principals' Federation
RNZ - John Gerritsen - March 17, 2020Principals are frustrated that parents are refusing to send their children to school for fear of the Covid-19 coronavirus. They say families are over-reacting because there is no community transmission of the virus. The Health Ministry has not reported any children with the virus...
Coronavirus: Ministry surveys schools to prepare for closures
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 16, 2020The Ministry of Education is ringing all schools to find out whether they could cope with teaching online if they have to close their buildings due to coronavirus. A newsletter sent to principals today says ministry staff will ring schools over the next two days to check their...
