One of the country’s largest early childhood services, Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens, welcomes the focus on families in
today’s budget, but says that early childhood funding increases won’t keep pace with inflation.
The government has announced a 2.75 per cent increase in the operational funding for early childhood services.
Additional money is provided to lift wages for early childhood teachers outside of kindergarten, to bring pay rates
closer across the sector, which is also welcome.
Whānau Manaaki Kindergarten operates 102 kindergartens in the lower North Island as well as home-based early education
services, Whānau Ora programmes and other projects that benefit children and families in our region.
Chief executive officer Amanda Coulston says many families are struggling, and many children continue to live in
poverty, and a variety of programmes announced today address this, including the low-income cost of living payment and
more money for housing projects.
She also welcomes increases to dental grants, insulation and heating programmes, and a change that means single parents
on the benefit will receive child support payments rather than the government keeping them.
“Many of our families are struggling with the cost of living, particularly housing costs, and some of the initiatives
today will help”, she says.
“In addition we have always supported pay parity for early childhood teachers, and increases for teachers outside of the
kindergarten sector means fairer pay which ultimately benefits children and families” .