Press releases and articles

The Early Childhood Council is labelling rules as grossly unfair that mean ECE teachers recruited from overseas, through initiatives like the Accredited Employer Work Visa, are paid more than New Zealand trained ECE teachers.

An overview of ECE centre closures and new services opened in March 2024.

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.

“It’s great to see the government prioritising early childhood education, and a welcome relief for parents facing rising costs, particularly those with the highest fees."

Ministry of Education data shows that 96% of Education and Care Centres have opted into Pay Parity, with 42% on Full Pay Parity. But in spite of improved teacher pay, it appears to have exacerbated the steady number of centre closures, with no measurable improvement for children and families to access quality centres.

The Early Childhood Council is delighted to welcome Now Business as its preferred telecommunications partner.