More Options For Whānau: Barnardos Welcomes Changes To Home Based Early Learning Legislation

The ECE Sector Partnership group welcomed the announcement yesterday from Minister Seymour to remove the pressure on service requirements of trained educators needed for providers to operate Home Based education whilst still promoting a qualified workforce.

In the new year, 100 percent of educators will need to be either fully qualified, or training towards a qualification within six months of their enrolling with a home based Service.

Raewyn Overton-Stuart, President of the NZ Homebase Childcare Association acknowledged the work Minister Seymour and the Ministry of Education team had done to make this change at the meeting the ECE Sector Partnership group had at the Minister’s office yesterday. “This is a significant change which will open opportunities for services to have more educators enrolled and moving through their training. In turn this will offer more flexibility to the communities and whānau that we serve meaning continuity of education and care for our children.”

The ECE Sector Partnership advocates for both choice and quality Early Childhood Education in every part of the early learning sector and welcomes this legislative improvement for our home based sector services.

Heather Taylor, Chief Operating Officer – Barnardos endorses the change “This is about investing in tamariki, and therefore the future our Aotearoa. The first 2,000 days of as child’s life is crucial in their brain development and life trajectory. This change will ensure tamariki receive quality Early Learning from trained educators, ensure choice for families in their local community, as well as support providers to stand strong within the Early Childhood sector.”

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