Child Care News
Preschools change food policy after toddler brain-damaged choking on apple
Stuff - Josephine Franks - April 3, 2019A toddler left brain-damaged after choking on a piece of apple at daycare has prompted a food policy change at more than 120 preschools across New Zealand. Evolve Education Group updated its policy in 2017, a year after the incident that left 22-month-old Neihana Renata with severe...
Learning From the Christchurch Lockdown of Schools
Scoop - Press Release: Ministry of Education - April 3, 2019When Police required a city wide lockdown in Christchurch on Friday the 15th of March, our schools, kura and early learning centres kept our children and young people and adults safe, in very challenging circumstances with everyone returning home safely. Because this lockdown was...
Police negotiating with person after West Auckand school lockdown
NZ Herald - April 3, 2019Armed police in West Auckland are responding to reports of gunfire and negotiating with a man believed to have locked himself in a house. Both a primary school and early childcare centre in Glen Eden were put into lockdown due to the incident but this was lifted shortly after midday...
Rotorua toddler suffers brain injury after choking on apple at childcare
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 31, 2019A childcare watchdog group is calling for tighter rules after a Rotorua toddler suffered brain damage after choking on an apple at his daycare centre. A report by Dr Sarah Alexander of the watchdog group Child Forum says 22-month-old Neihana Renata suffered hypoxic brain damage...
Christchurch preschools grappling with terror attack aftermath
Stuff - Cecile Meier - March 31, 2019At Christchurch's Hagley Community Preschool, March 15 started like any other day. At 1.45pm the lockdown siren rang. Teachers calmly led the children to the safe zone... Hagley Community Preschool has 37 children on its roll, many of whom come from refugee and immigrant families...
Two years as Oranga Tamariki: Getting whānau back into children's lives
Stuff - Jo Lines-MacKenzie - March 31. 2019Two years on from Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children's rebrand, following severe failings as CYF, it's looking down the barrel of legislative change that requires strong partnerships with kaupapa Māori and iwi including Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Ngai Tūhoe, Ngai Tahu, and Waikato-Tainui...
'Happy children': Stolen turtles returned to Te Atatū daycare
NZ Herald - Heath Moore - March 29, 2019Children at a daycare in West Auckland's Te Atatū now have wide smiles on their faces after their stolen pet turtles were returned home safely. On March 5, the Flanshaw Early Childhood Centre's beloved kindy pets, Bill and Ben, were stolen from the classroom...
Measles exposure: Auckland public health following up with 900 people
Radio NZ - March 27, 2019Auckland Primary Principals' Association president Craig Holt said schools in the region were moderately concerned about the measles outbreak. He said schools were keeping an eye out for any cases of measles. The Ministry of Education said it had not been notified...
'I'm working to afford daycare': Parents struggle with rising cost of childcare
Stuff - Susan Edmunds - March 26, 2019Parents around the country are being hit with increasingly large bills for early childhood education and childcare. Lauren Williams, who works three days a week in a bank, spends $160.33 a week on childcare for her 15-month-old son. It works out at about a third of what she earns...
Predictions show early childhood education set to increase by 13.9 per cent
Wellington Times - March 25, 2019Studying from home, and working in the industry at the same time has been 'a positive experience' for student Rebekah Mealey. Ms Mealey studied a certificate III in early childhood education and care through TAFE Western Connect at TAFE Wellington where she now lives...
New childcare centres and retirement villages make up record number of Tauranga and Western Bay building consents
NZ Herald - Zoe Hunter - March 25, 2019Plans to build new childcare centres and update ageing retirement villages in Tauranga helped drive a record $204 million in consents issued for the first two months of 2019. Priority One's latest data showed the total value of January and February building consents...
Call for tough action after 26 early childhood education services broke rules repeatedly
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 23, 2019Watchdogs are calling for tougher action after revelations that 26 day-care services have broken the rules repeatedly in the past three years. The repeat offenders include 10 centres owned by Discoveries Educare, which has undergone multiple Ministry of Education interventions ...
School lockdown review after Christchurch mosque horror
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 21, 2019School lockdown procedures will be reviewed urgently after desperate parents were unable to reach their children following the Christchurch mosque attacks. Ministry of Education deputy secretary Katrina Casey has announced that the ministry will start...
PhD presentation: Middle Eastern Children in New Zealand Early Childhood Settings
Victoria University of Wellington - March 19, 2019We invite you to attend a PhD presentation by PhD Candidate, Fatemeh Irajzad, School of Education. Fatemeh’s supervisors are Carmen Dalli and Mere Skerrett. Abstract: Studies indicate that Middle Eastern children who grow up...
Ministry of Education working to support schools
Scoop NZ - Press Release- Ministry of Education - March 17, 2019We are providing support to schools, kura and early learning services in the wake of Friday’s shocking event in Christchurch. This is a really tough time for New Zealanders and it’s critical our children and young people get the support and care they need as they return to schools...
