The Mission – Media release
7 October 2011
Dunedin childcare centre relaunches
The Mission’s nursery and pre-school for under-fives opens today (Monday, 10 October) under a new name: Little Citizens
early learning centre.
Little Citizens’ manager Lisa Foster says “Parents tell us we’re a great place to send their kids but we’re hiding our
best qualities.
“Families love our tasty and nutritious food, qualified and caring staff, dedicated family support, and the way we work,
but people don’t seem to know that our a nursery and preschool are there.
“We have a great ERO report, a strong curriculum, good relationships with the primary schools, and top staff but it’s
tough for busy working people to shop around and some families aren’t aware of all the options available to them.
“In fact, we have places available now in our Little Citizens Nursery (for under-twos) and Pre-school (for two to five
years old), including 20 hours free to 3 and 4 year-olds, and a warm welcome to anyone who would like to visit.
“Our new name says it all,” Lisa Foster says, “we help to grow the good citizens of the future.
“We offer quality care and education for children under 5, plus we aim higher. Our philosophy is providing
whanaungatanga to the minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits of the families we work with; creating and celebrating stories
of their children’s learning.
Asked what distinguishes Little Citizens from other providers, Lisa says the total package of services makes Little
Citizens a good choice including the ratio of staff to children, learning programme, communication with parents,
availability of hours, support for families through the dedicated Support and Advocacy worker, nourishing meals prepared
on site, and the great start the children get on their learning.
“We offer a personalised engagement with families: we’re not a huge corporate with hundreds of children on site. At the
same time we don’t expect parents to give up their weekends and evenings to get things fixed or painted. We know they’re
too busy for that.”
The new name acknowledges the childcare centre’s pioneering heritage. It was founded as the Dunedin Citizens’ Day
Nursery in 1930, coming under the Methodist Central Mission (as it was then) in 1954.
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