Implications for management in ECE

Hann (2007, p.1) states “Early-childhood centres will be subsidised by the Government for the 20 hours of free childcare a week, at a rate ranging from $4.09 to $10.60”. Nationals funding per child for the hourly rate is barely covering the minimum running costs, therefore teacher lead services are justifying by adding large additional costs for extra hourly rates.  In addition if parents, ngā whānau choose not to have their children attending teacher lead services for the 20 hours (a maximum of six hours in a day) and want their child to attend seven hours of care in one day costs can be dramatically increased. Research in early childhood education (ECE) has found centres have been adding additional costs to the ECE services by charging up to fifty cents per hour per child with extra food costs and other additional costs.

The Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA) has joined the 20 hour policy and they discussed how parents were led to believe by the government that the 20 hours policy is free for all children aged three and four years. This is not the case as funding still needs to be received through fundraisers and donations. The AKA have been charging per child up to one dollar an hour in the kindergarten setting. Although some centres do agree with using the 20 hour policy New Zealand’s Early childhood Council disagrees and they are urging ECE centres to not provide this service as it can lower the availability to quality ECE.

Farquhar predicted when the 20 hour policy began in 2007 that if parents could not pay the additional optional costs it could create a two tier system of quality ECE lead services. This is creating a wider gap of availability to quality ECE services for people of a lower socio-economic status, which was the purpose of the policy originally to make ECE services more accessible.  Currently the government has cut the funding to ECE lead services and lowered the percentage of teachers that need to be qualified in working in ECE. Labour was aiming for 100 percent qualified by the year 2012, National have brought this down to 80 percent.  This has also had a large impact on ECE and how qualified ECE teachers are respected and valued financially for their contribution to their role in promoting children’s learning and development.

References:

Bushouse, B. K. (2009). The 20 hours (free) programme: Important choices ahead for New Zealand’s new government. Policy Quarterly, 5(1), 58-63. Retrieved April 20, from ips.ac.nz/publications/files/596ae740f62.pdf

Farquhar, S. (2010). Likely consequences of the 20 hour education policy, 2007. Retrieved April 5, from http://www.childforum.com/political/83-likely-consequences-of-the-20-hour-free-early-childhood-education-policy-2007.html

Hann, A. (2007, March 21). Childcare centres wary or subsidy. The Press. Retrieved from ProQuest database.

Hide, R., Boscawen, J., Douglas, R., Roy, H., & Calvert, H. (2010). Act blog: Consequences of ’20 hours free’ live on. Retrieved April 23, 2011 from http://www.act.org.nz/blog/heather-roy/consequences-of-20-hours-free-live-on

Nichols, L. (2007, April 27). Preschools reject free hours policy. Dominion Post. Retrieved from ProQuest database.

Valentine, K. (2007). Kiwi families for passionate parents: 20 hours ece. Retrieved April 7, from http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/Topics/Education/Early+Childhood-Education/20+Hours+ECE.html