By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
The 20-hour free early childhood scheme was extended to daycares five weeks ago, resulting in more options becoming available for parents wanting to get back to work. Paradise Childcare Centre manager Brain Hogg says, “Centre numbers are strictly controlled by regulation, and the ministry of education dictates you cannot have over a certain number at one time.” “People take kids to centres in close proximity to work,” he says. The result of this has seen an increase in demand for city childcare centres, resulting in Te Papa saying they will open a centre before the end of the year. Although the civic centre has a problem providing care, outlying areas are able to cope with the numbers. Wellington Playcentre Association convener Jude Pointon says building new centres is preferable to expanding current ones. “If we were looking to expand we would build a new centre in an area with population growth, like Whitby. “We provide daycare, which works well as the adult-to-child ratio is very low, we never go above one-to-five, and some places can be as low as one-to-two,” she says. Daycare caters for children from birth to six-year-olds, and crèche, playcentre and kindergarten caters for three to six-year-olds. “There hasn’t been enough long-term planning around early child care. “Mothers feel a real pressure to get back to work,” says Ms Pointon. Wellington Playcentre Association runs 25 playcentres between Miramar and Otaki, and 18 from Eastbourne into the Hutt Valley. “At city growth areas, like Paramata and around Porirua, our centres are full and have waiting lists. “Daycare is cheap if you compare it to other places, because parents run the centres and its parent led,” she says. Wellington Au Pair company Linguavision facilitate placing Au Pair’s with families, and say the crowdedness of play centres makes it better to have an Au Pair, but it depends on the parents. “It’s good for parents that like to have language learning in the home, and have someone become part of the family,” says managing director Sophie Van de Moortel. Most Au Pairs come from Europe and other countries with working holiday visa arrangements, such as Chile. “Parents know the reality that daycare often get too crowded and there is no space, and [having an Au Pair] is much cheaper than paying for daycare,” says Ms Van de Moortel. Au Pair’s are paid $150 a week, plus meals and board and are among the cheapest childcare option along with volunteering at a Daycare and employing someone training in early childhood education. Wellington Nannies College students can be employed to work a 40 hour week in home for around $200, and are supervised by the family for the first week.
