Understanding Childcare Options in New Zealand

There is a wide variety of childcare services available in New Zealand and it can be hard to know the differences between them

This article gives a short overview of the different types of childcare services in New Zealand to help you to understand the differences between them – and which options could be right for you and your child.

Kindergartens

Most kindergartens accept children between 2 and 5 years and can have set morning and afternoon sessions for different age groups. Some also offer all-day education and care or part-day sessions. Kindergartens are managed by a Kindergarten Association and have 100% qualified and certificated ECE teachers. They work closely with children's families and whānau.

Education and care services

Education and care services run all-day sessions, or flexible-hour programmes for children from birth to primary school age.

Education and care services can be privately owned, owned and operated by a community group, or operated in an organisation for employees with young children. Some have a particular language and cultural focus, others have a specific set of beliefs about teaching and learning, for example, Rudolph Steiner and Montessori.

Home-based education and care

Home-based education and care is provided for groups of up to 4 children aged birth to 5 years in either the educator’s home or the child's home. Each educator must belong to a home-based service, which provides support through a coordinator who is a qualified and certificated ECE teacher.

Te Kura (the Correspondence School)

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu - The Correspondence School (Te Kura) - offers learning programmes for children aged between 3 and 5 years who can't attend an early learning service or kōhanga reo. Te Kura's early learning educators work with parents, whānau and caregivers to meet a child's early learning needs. They also have a range of books, puzzles, games and art materials you can borrow.

Te Kōhanga Reo

Te Kōhanga Reo offers a Māori immersion environment for tamariki and their whānau, while giving children high quality education and care. Te Kōhanga Reo puts the whānau at the centre of learning and caters to tamariki (children) from birth to school age.

Playcentres

Catering for children from birth to school age, playcentres are run cooperatively by parents and member families, supported by a regional association. These regional associations are managed by the New Zealand Playcentre Federation.

Playgroups

Playgroups are community-based groups with short sessions (4 hours a day) run by parent and whānau volunteers. They are often based in community halls and over half the children attending on any day must be accompanied by a parent. Parents and whānau who run the sessions receive information, support and training from the Ministry of Education.

There are also specific playgroups that encourage learning through te reo Māori and tikanga (Ngā Puna Kōhungahunga) and a range of other Pasifika languages and cultures.