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Sector consultation key to Early Childhood Food Programme roll out

“It’s encouraging the programme aims to target support to those who need it most, like community owned and low fee centres, who often support low socio economic areas and have done it tough under the Pay Parity scheme,” said ECC CEO Simon Laube.“The benefits of early learning are clear, and combining that with lunches for children who might otherwise miss out is potentially a big win. But with many centres already providing food, so it’s important this new programme doesn’t confuse o...

ECE sector innovation supports FamilyBoost

Every parent wants quality education for their youngest children, and Budget 2024 helps deliver that by subsidising New Zealand’s most unaffordable childcare in the OECD,” said ECC CEO Simon Laube.‍“FamilyBoost should stimulate demand, and re-engage families with ECE centres – more demand for childcare does benefit ECE providers. FamilyBoost is a positive move before more substantial relief comes from the ECE Regulation Review, which is expected to remove costly over-regulation, imposi...

Budget 2024 will keep ECE lights on, but gaps remain

With inflation in 2024 at 4%, a cost adjustment of 2% in January 2025 will see centres slowly going backwards. Employers still have unfunded Pay Parity salary and wage increases to cover, and with $1.4 billion in funding for 20 Hours ECE for under two’s reversed (to be replaced by FamilyBoost), early learning providers are facing significant cost pressures that will only worsen.“For many providers just hanging on, the cost adjustment won’t be enough to stay in business,” said Simon Laube...

Resolution expected for NZ ECE teacher Median Wage issue, but when?

Currently two teachers with the same entry-level ECE teaching qualifications must be paid at different minimum starting rates, with ECE teachers in NZ on work visas and seeking residency earning a much higher rate. Overseas recruits currently earn a starting rate of $29.66 for the Accredited Employer Work Visa and $31.61 if the individual applies for residency, as opposed to a $27.58 starting rate for an NZ teacher working in a centre with Pay Parity.  MBIE’s adjustments to the Median Wag...

Moves to simplify ECE regulation will benefit centres and parents

“Over many years the government has imposed layer after layer of regulation, stifling innovation and creating barriers and hidden costs,” said ECC CEO Simon Laube.“Today’s changes to Person Responsible and Network Management are a great start for introducing some common sense to childcare regulation, helping providers run more efficiently and better serve their communities.”The current Person Responsible rule, which defines oversight tasks that can only be performed by a qualified teac...

Early Childhood providers landed with increased salary rates for overseas teachers, with no notification or funding from government

The situation is made worse as the Median Wage for Immigration has increased by 6.6% , an increase that is unfunded by the government, and introduced in February with no official notice to centres with licences to operate from the Ministry of Education.“When the government introduces a compulsory pay rise, they should at least tell the employers that pay the bill. The lack of communication is disappointing and sub-standard,” said Simon Laube, ECC CEO.“If you were a centre manager, how woul...

Guidance on FamilyBoost

FamilyBoost is a childcare payment scheme that takes effect from 1 July 2024 onwards, and is intended to support parents and caregivers of young children in managing childcare fees with a partial reimbursement.Under the scheme, eligible households can get up to 25% of their weekly childcare fees reimbursed, to a maximum credit of $75 per week after the 20 Hours Free ECE and MSD’s Childcare Subsidy are taken into account. The credit is processed through Inland Revenue: parents can submit their ...

ECC comment on Family Boost announcement

“Childcare fees cost parents 47% more now than in 2000, according to Statistics NZ.“Family Boost should help stimulate demand, and re-engage families with ECE centres, particularly in Auckland.“More demand from parents will benefit centres, and the sector overall.“It’s great to see there’s a consultation period on the proposed changes, so we can see if the rebates are easy for parents to claim. The process needs to be straightforward for both parents and centres to be a success. &nbs...

96% of ECE centres on Pay Parity, but significant issues remain for teachers and providers

“Despite hundreds of millions invested in Pay Parity, it’s never been more difficult for a provider to hire a qualified teacher, and more centres are closing. Children, parents, centres and teachers, not to mention tax payers, deserve better,” said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube.Pay Parity is designed to reduce the pay gap between teachers in education and care centres and their counterparts in kindergartens, who’ve been paid a lot more for doing the same jobs with the same qual...

Early Childhood Council announce new Preferred Supplier partnership with Now Business

The Early Childhood Council is delighted to welcome Now Business as its preferred telecommunications partner.“This partnership will really benefit our members in finding the right telecommunication solution, because Now have a genuine interest in the early childhood sector, and are dedicated to quality customer service,” said ECC Preferred Supplier lead Ingrid Crispin.The new agreement offers ECC members an exclusive 8% discount on their monthly invoice for fixed recurring services...

ECC Centre Closures Report: March 2024

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Early Childhood Council Announces Discover as Conference Partner for ECC Conference 2024

The Early Childhood Council is thrilled to announce Discover by Xplor, a leading student management software (SMS) provider in the ECE sector, as the partner for their highly anticipated 2024 conference ‘Success Through Wellbeing’.Scheduled to take place on 9 and 10 August in Christchurch, the ECC Conference is expected to attract over 300 passionate leaders, educators and industry experts from across the country.“We are very pleased to confirm Discover by Xplor as our conference partner f...

More flexibility in ECE staffing can improve access for children and parents

It could be a positive for providers now hamstrung by restrictive regulation, the 10,000 people currently working in ECE without a teaching qualification and will help address the ongoing teacher shortage.“This is about flexibility, not removing the need for qualified teachers, no-one expects or is asking for that. The current regulations drive a lot of extra costs, with parents ultimately footing the bill,” said ECC CEO Simon Laube.“Many providers already go above and beyond the governmen...

$118 million sunk into flawed IT system that won’t pay ECE teachers properly

The Ministry of Education keeps sinking money into Pourato, a new IT system meant to deliver funding for employers to pay Early Childhood Education teachers, despite sector concerns since 2015 about the outdated funding approach.Early Childhood Council investigations have revealed that designing and building Pourato has cost the taxpayer $118 million since 2015.“The Ministry has some serious questions to answer – why didn’t they stop the Pourato project in 2019 when major failures were rai...

20 Hours ECE funding news a welcome boost for providers

The early learning sector has welcomed the confirmation 20 Hours ECE funding increases in March 2024 will be kept in place.   With no changes to the published 1 March 2024funding rates, it means early learning providers can plan with more confidence for the year ahead.  “It’s extremely heartening the Minister has listened to the sector and kept this funding in place – it’s just what providers needed,” said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube. ...

ECE managers’ pay lagging behind, thanks to Pay Parity policies

A comprehensive survey of early learning sector wages shows Pay Parity is having a positive effect overall on average ECE teacher pay, but reveals the diminishing gap between pay for teachers and managers is ringing alarm bells.The Early Childhood Council Wages & Salaries Survey 2023 showed that overall, certificated early learning teacher wages have increased 9.8% over the last year, and those with over ten years’ experience increased by over 12%.Uncertified teacher wage rises of 5.3% wer...

‘Discrepancy’ of $253 million means 18,000 teachers missing out on Pay Parity and ECEs closing fast

“To see a shortfall of $253 million being labelled as a ‘discrepancy’ by Minister Tinetti was a surprise and seems to down-play something significant - the breaking of Labour’s Pay Parity promise to 18,000 teachers” said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube.A Ministry of Education Cabinet paper shines a light on how difficult this year’s secondary school industrial action was for the previous government, not provisioning sufficient funds to fully honour the outcome of the sec...

Employers committed to ECE Fair Pay Agreement process

The Early Childhood Council confirms it’s committed to the Early Childhood Education Fair Pay Agreement process, despite NZEI Te Riu Roa issuing a petition claiming employer representatives weren’t coming to the table.“Nothing has changed – the ECC is working alongside our fellow employer party representatives, and intend to continue the process in good faith,” said ECC CEO Simon Laube.An inter-party side agreement is the next step in the FPA process with a meeting scheduled ...

Win for ECE providers as Ministry of Education confirms common sense building WoF approach

The Early Childhood Council welcomes the Ministry of Education’s clarification they won’t automatically remove early learning centre licences if their building loses its warrant of fitness under new MBIE guidelines, after an ECC investigation.“This is a relief for ECC members and all centres. Knowing your licence could still be removed anytime is still a risk, but at least it won’t be because of this Building Warrant of Fitness issue any more. It’s heartening to see some common sense b...

Inflexible building rules could see Ministry of Education suspend early learning licences overnight

Lack of clarity with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s new approach to building regulation could see Ministry of Education shut early learning centres overnight, leaving parents scrambling for care and massive disruption for providers.“Providers just want certainty,” said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube. “Of course buildings must be safe, but right now, centres could be shut down in 24 hours for really minor issues. There’s no consistent national approach to...

Ministry of Education uses flawed data to impose further regulation on ECE Sector

From August 2024, new regulations contained in the Education and Training Act state a ‘person responsible’ at each centre must at all times hold a category one or two practising certificate early childhood qualification.The Ministry of Education’s regulatory impact statement supporting the changes states that: “Teaching Council data indicates that around 99% of current ECE trained teachers hold a category One or Two practising certificate”.That data has been used by the Ministry t...

Kiddywinkles Helping Kids in Need

Early Childhood Education is a wonderful industry to be in but as we all know, it comes with a unique host of challenges. Overriding the pressure from these challenges is the personal pleasure of seeing the joy on a child’s face as they experience the wonders of early learning.We are motivated by our desire to prepare children for their educational journey and to give them the very best start possible. It is indeed gratifying watching a little one start in the baby room and progress year by ye...

Government’s Pay Parity promise is broken

Early learning providers’ funding is going backwards, despite government promises of Pay Parity for teachers employed in Education & Care services.Despite kindergarten teachers’ representatives agreeing to a new teacher pay scale the day after Budget 2023, when the Ministry of Education published Full Parity rates to be effective from 1 November, these rates weren’t Parity, creating much concern for ECE providers and their teachers alike.Now, secondary teachers have won further salary ...

Early Childhood Council releases its vision for higher quality and more sustainable early learning

Politicians contesting the 2023 General Election need to understand the fundamental issues that need their attention if early learning services are to survive, let alone thrive, for the good of children and whānau, says the Early Childhood Council.“Our children’s early learning touches a huge number of New Zealanders. Those with children in childcare or who can’t find or afford it, those working in the sector and those who may not realise the people they employ rely on affordable and acce...

Early learning teachers’ Pay Equity process in doubt

The Education Minister’s decision to defer giving teachers in-principle government support to funding their Pay Equity settlement means increased uncertainty and pressure for Early Childhood employers, who have no such luxury once a settlement occurs.Under the agreed terms, this government commitment was due before the investigation started, but has now run for nearly 12 months without it.“We’re mid-way through the investigation, and now the sector learns this decision that we should’ve ...