Press Release Updates
Ministers move won't lead to lower standards4:10PM, 15 November 2024
From left to right: Erin Keyworth – Te Rito Maioha; Raewyn Overton-Stuart – NZ Homebased Childcare Association; Kelly Seaburg – Advocates for Early Learning Excellence;; Cathy Wilson – Montessori Aotearoa New Zealand; Minister David Seymour; Jill Bond – New Zealand Kindergartens; Christine Hall – Central Kids.
(Absent Kathy Wolfe – Te Rito Maioha and Heather Taylor – Barnardos Aotearoa, New Zealand)
A leading home based ECE provider has challenged a suggestion from Kindergartens Aotearoa that the Home Based ECE sector can operate with lower safety standards after the recent announcement by Minister Seymour.
Raewyn Overton-Stuart, President of the NZ Homebased Childcare Association said today that it was nonsensical to suggest that this announcement would mean Educators would not engage in, nor complete their formal training.
Ms Overton-Stuart was responding to comments from Amanda Clouston of Kindergartens Aotearoa yesterday.
"Ms Clouston's comments are an anathema to professionals in Home Based ECE. The changes made are to ensure that 100% of Educators are either fully qualified or enrolled to become qualified, surely this is a good thing?"
Raewyn Overton-Stuart, President of the NZ Homebased Childcare Association said today that it was nonsensical to suggest that this announcement would mean Educators would not engage in, nor complete their formal training.
Ms Overton-Stuart was responding to comments from Amanda Clouston of Kindergartens Aotearoa yesterday.
"Ms Clouston's comments are an anathema to professionals in Home Based ECE. The changes made are to ensure that 100% of Educators are either fully qualified or enrolled to become qualified, surely this is a good thing?"
"Home Based services have dedicated significant time and resource to the training and education of Home Based Educators since the regulations were strengthened in 2022 requiring mandatory training. We were at the table four years ago advocating for a fully qualified workforce, and this recent change will help us all to achieve this."
Heather Taylor, Chief Operating Officer - Barnardos Aotearoa, said that the Home Based ECE sector enrolments have been disproportionately decreasing over the past few years in comparison to centres.
"We cannot simply sit here and let Home Based provision end when parents want this choice; we have to continually adapt our sector, be brave and make the change that is required so that we can deliver more qualified Educators to our families. With current rules in place we simply cannot bring on enough in-training Educators to fill the demand from parents, you cannot get a qualified workforce whilst the pipeline is so restricted."
"Depending on the training provider it can take between 20-40 weeks for an Educator to complete their qualification. " she said.
"Without this regulation change it would have meant that service with 10 Educators, eight qualified and two in-training, would have to wait until those in training had completed before being able to enrol another Educator, this is just too tight."
All Home Based services have Visiting Teachers - Fully certificated and registered teachers who support their educators as they provide the education and care from day one. This sector has also proven to be the most agile with Educators providing care during lockdown, plus it offers the most flexible option for parents who work shifts.
Ms Overton-Stuart reiterated that her members were highly professional ECE providers, and their professionalism and sense of values would not allow them to compromise the safety of children in their care. We often receive comments such as one with a family whose second child is now in care with an Educator who said ‘Appreciate everything. He has come a long way indeed. You have gone above and beyond the goals and expectations; and I cannot recommend you guys enough to other parents. Thank you for being a vital part of [his] growth. I have no doubt [our next child’s] experience … will be just as fun and full of learning.’
"Home Based services saw Minister Seymour's announcement last week as a light at the end of the tunnel after a number of tough years."To read the original press release please click here.
Heather Taylor, Chief Operating Officer - Barnardos Aotearoa, said that the Home Based ECE sector enrolments have been disproportionately decreasing over the past few years in comparison to centres.
"We cannot simply sit here and let Home Based provision end when parents want this choice; we have to continually adapt our sector, be brave and make the change that is required so that we can deliver more qualified Educators to our families. With current rules in place we simply cannot bring on enough in-training Educators to fill the demand from parents, you cannot get a qualified workforce whilst the pipeline is so restricted."
"Depending on the training provider it can take between 20-40 weeks for an Educator to complete their qualification. " she said.
"Without this regulation change it would have meant that service with 10 Educators, eight qualified and two in-training, would have to wait until those in training had completed before being able to enrol another Educator, this is just too tight."
All Home Based services have Visiting Teachers - Fully certificated and registered teachers who support their educators as they provide the education and care from day one. This sector has also proven to be the most agile with Educators providing care during lockdown, plus it offers the most flexible option for parents who work shifts.
Ms Overton-Stuart reiterated that her members were highly professional ECE providers, and their professionalism and sense of values would not allow them to compromise the safety of children in their care. We often receive comments such as one with a family whose second child is now in care with an Educator who said ‘Appreciate everything. He has come a long way indeed. You have gone above and beyond the goals and expectations; and I cannot recommend you guys enough to other parents. Thank you for being a vital part of [his] growth. I have no doubt [our next child’s] experience … will be just as fun and full of learning.’
"Home Based services saw Minister Seymour's announcement last week as a light at the end of the tunnel after a number of tough years."To read the original press release please click here.
Home-Based ECE Care Made EasierWednesday, 6 November 2024, 11:22 amPress Release: New Zealand Government
Hon David SeymourAssociate Minister of Education
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government is cutting red tape in the ECE sector to help make it easier for providers to operate and offer more options to families looking for home-based education and care for their children.
“I have heard from providers that some of the red tape around home-based ECE care is too onerous and makes them spend too much time on compliance,” says Mr Seymour.
“While there is huge demand for ECEs, numbers show supply isn’t keeping up. That is why we are committed to making changes which will allow the industry to expand and continue to provide high-quality service for families and their children.
Current regulations require 60 percent of educators working for a home-based provider to hold a Level 4 ECE qualification. The remaining 40 percent can be anyone, whether they are working towards their qualification or not, in no particular ratio.
“Plans to increase the requirement to 80 percent of educators at the start of 2025 have been scrapped. It would have been burdensome for providers and make it difficult for those wanting to enter the profession by limiting opportunities. This also harms the prospects of industry growth, which providers want,” says Mr Seymour.
“We’ve listened to providers and added flexibility to the equation. From 1 January 2025 the qualified educator requirement will be removed all together and replaced with a requirement that 100 percent of educators are either fully qualified, or in training to be fully qualified, within six months of their employment.
“This means providers can more easily maintain the balance between qualified and in-training educators, reducing the possibility of closure. For smaller providers, the difference between compliance and non-compliance could be one qualified educator. This is the difference between a child being able to access education or not.
From 1 January 2025, the standard funding rate will no longer apply. All services will receive one single funding rate set at the current quality funding rate. This will become the new base rate for licensed home-based services regardless of how many qualified educators they have in their service.
“To further increase flexibility, we will also be allowing qualified educators to work as persons responsible for more than two different licensed home-based education services per month. This allows providers to find relief cover more easily,” says Mr Seymour.
“These changes, which I expect to be made by the end of this year, are part of our effort to reduce red tape in the early learning sector. Alongside these changes the Ministry for Regulation is conducting a regulatory review of the ECE sector as a whole.” To see the original press release please click here.
Hon David SeymourAssociate Minister of Education
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government is cutting red tape in the ECE sector to help make it easier for providers to operate and offer more options to families looking for home-based education and care for their children.
“I have heard from providers that some of the red tape around home-based ECE care is too onerous and makes them spend too much time on compliance,” says Mr Seymour.
“While there is huge demand for ECEs, numbers show supply isn’t keeping up. That is why we are committed to making changes which will allow the industry to expand and continue to provide high-quality service for families and their children.
Current regulations require 60 percent of educators working for a home-based provider to hold a Level 4 ECE qualification. The remaining 40 percent can be anyone, whether they are working towards their qualification or not, in no particular ratio.
“Plans to increase the requirement to 80 percent of educators at the start of 2025 have been scrapped. It would have been burdensome for providers and make it difficult for those wanting to enter the profession by limiting opportunities. This also harms the prospects of industry growth, which providers want,” says Mr Seymour.
“We’ve listened to providers and added flexibility to the equation. From 1 January 2025 the qualified educator requirement will be removed all together and replaced with a requirement that 100 percent of educators are either fully qualified, or in training to be fully qualified, within six months of their employment.
“This means providers can more easily maintain the balance between qualified and in-training educators, reducing the possibility of closure. For smaller providers, the difference between compliance and non-compliance could be one qualified educator. This is the difference between a child being able to access education or not.
From 1 January 2025, the standard funding rate will no longer apply. All services will receive one single funding rate set at the current quality funding rate. This will become the new base rate for licensed home-based services regardless of how many qualified educators they have in their service.
“To further increase flexibility, we will also be allowing qualified educators to work as persons responsible for more than two different licensed home-based education services per month. This allows providers to find relief cover more easily,” says Mr Seymour.
“These changes, which I expect to be made by the end of this year, are part of our effort to reduce red tape in the early learning sector. Alongside these changes the Ministry for Regulation is conducting a regulatory review of the ECE sector as a whole.” To see the original press release please click here.