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New Zealand has many types of early childhood services to choose from.  Each type has its own way of working with children and their parents.  Some offer full day education and care, some only part day.  Some are led by trained teachers; in others, parents, whanau or caregivers provide the education.  There are also services in which other people can look after your child in their home.  In choosing a service you need to think about what's important to you and what will be best for you and your child.

Your first decision will be about what type of early childhood service suits you best.  There are two kinds to choose from:

1. Teacher-led - where teachers provide the education and care
2. Parent-led - where parents, whanau or caregivers provide the education and care for their children. 

Correspondence and special needs services are also available to children who need them.

All teacher-led services are licensed and/or chartered.  Except for playgroups, all parent-led services are also licensed and/or chartered.

Teacher-led services

Education and care centres

Education and care centres are licensed and/or chartered early childhood centres that offer either all day or part day services.  Education and care centres include church, workplace and childcare centres, which may be run by either community or private owners, and may be based in a specific culture.  Some services may be based around certain beliefs about, or methods of, education, such as Montessory or Rudolph Steiner centres.

The teachers in charge of the centre while it is open must be registered teachers who hold a Diploma in Teaching (ECE) or similar qualification.  Other staff in the centre may have different qualifications or experience.

Depending on the centre, they may accept children from birth to school age, or children of specific ages.

Casual services, such as those in shopping malls and gyms, where your child stays only for the short time you're at the venue, are included in this service type.  In most education and care services you need to enrol your child for a set period of time.  Casual centres may take children when you arrive on the day.

Education an care centres usually charge fees.  As parents, whanau or caregivers, you may have an opportunity to be involved with management committees, or as voluntary helpers or fundraisers.

Kindergartens

Kindergartens are a type of education and care centre run by a kindergarten association.  The main difference between kindergartens and other education and care services is that all kindergarten teachers must be registered teachers who hold a Diploma in Teaching (ECE) or similar qualification.

Most kindergartens offer services to children aged between two-and-a-half and five-years:

• Older children attend morning sessions five-days-a-week
• Younger children attend afternoon sessions three-days-a-week 

Some kindergartens offer all day sessions and may take children under to years.

Each kindergarten is run by a committee made up of parents and people from the community.  This committee reports to a local kindergarten association.  As a parent, whanau or caregiver, you may have the opportunity to be involved with the committee or association, or as a voluntary helper or fundraiser.

Kindergartens usually ask for parent donation or fee.

Home-based care groups

These services involve a caregiver providing education and care for small groups of young children in their home as part of a chartered home-based care network.

Caregivers in home-based networks provide full day or part day education and care.  They may also provide emergency care.  The work of the caregiver is supported by a qualified co-ordinator fromt he network.  The co-ordinator helps parents choose the right caregiver for their child and this person will support the child's learning programme.  The co-ordinator visits the home-based caregiver regularly to check on the child's safety and wellbeing and their learning progress.

Home-based care services usually charge fees.

Parent-led services

Playcentres

In playcentres, parents whanau and caregivers meet together to support their children's early learning.  Most playcentres are licensed and/or chartered services that offer learning through play for children from birth to school age.  each playcentre sets the times for its own sessions and children can attend up to five sessions a week.

People become members of a playcentre when they enroll their child.  They are then involved in running the centre and taking part in the daily programme.  Each centre is linked to a regional association, which belongs to the national New Zealand Playcentre Federation.  The associations provide parent education programmes.  Parents, whanau and caregivers are encouraged to work towards the Playcentre qualification to help them teach their children during sessions.

Playcentres usually charge fees.  Because parents, whanau and caregivers are so involved in this service, these fees are generally low.

To Kohanga Reo

Kohanga Reo build young children's and parents' knowledge of te reo Maori (language) and tikanga (culture), and parents and whanau are closely involved in the child's learning and development.  Children can attend from birth to five years in the Kohanga Reo total immersion te reo Maori environment (meaning te reo is the only language used).  Parents are responsible for the management and operation of their Kohanga Reo and are encouraged to take part in the daily programme.  Kohanga Reo have a whanau contribution system which may vary according to the needs of the whanau.  This contribution can be koha, donations for food and/or paying fees. 

Te Kohanga Reo National Trust is the umbrella organisation through which all Kohanga Reo are chartered.  The trust's role as the kaitiaki (guardian) of the Kohanga Reo kaupapa is to ensure the quality and revitalisation of the Maori language.  It does this by providing support and advice to Kohanga Reo and advocating on their behalf.  The trust provides whanau based learning to Kohanga Reo whanau including whakapakari tino rangatiratanga, a three year training course for kaiako (teachers).  It also provides training courses for whanau in te rao M?ori, computer training, te whariki and business administration.

Playgroups

Playgroups are community-based groups.  They are licence-exempt, which means they don't have to have a licence.  These groups give parents, whanau and caregivers the opportunity to meet together and provide play programmes for their children.  To be a playgroup, at least half the children attending must have a parent staying with them.  The playgroup sessions can run for a maximum of three hours each day and are often set up in community halls where equipment is put out before each session and cleared away afterwards.

Playgroups receive a small amount of government funding to help pay for equipment and hall hire.  Parents, whanau and caregivers involved in running the sessions receive information, support and training from the Ministry of Education to help them do so.  With the Ministry's help, some of these groups grow into amore formal, Ministry-funded licensed and/or chartered service.

Nga Puna Kohungahunga

Nga Puna Kohungahunga services are a type of playgroup that builds learning in te reo M?ori and tikanga.  These groups help parents and whanau to shape learning programmes to meet their children's needs.  Learning may be in both English and te reo or in te reo only.

Parents and whanau are involved in running the sessions and receive information, support and training from the Ministry of Education to help them do so.

Pacific Islands Early Childhood groups

These are a type of playgroup that builds young children's knowledge of their own Pasifika language and culture.  These groups include many Pasifika cultures from countries such as Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Niue, Toketau, Tuvalua and Fiji.  Learning may be in both English and a Pasifika language or in the Pasifika language only.  These groups are often church or community based and parents help run the sessions.

Pacific Islands Early Childhood groups may ask for parent donation.

The Correspondence School

The Correspondence School offers learning programmes for children aged three-to-five-years who live too far away from early childhood education services.  Correspondence is also an option for children who can't attend other services because they're ill or have a physical disability, or they shift homes at least once a term.

Children who receive the early childhood education correspondence service can also attend a regular service for up to two session per week.

The Correspondence School's early childhood teachers work with parents, whanau or caregivers to develop a programme to meet the needs of their child.  Parents, whanau or caregivers receive information and programmes to help them plan play activities and learning experiences to support their child's learning.  The Correspondence School also has a range of books, puzzles, educational games, audiotapes, posters and art materials that you can borrow.

Special Needs

Education and care for children who have special needs is provided within the diverse range of early childhood services.  The Ministry of Education provides additional services for these children from the earliest possible time and continues until they are settled into school.  These additional services are known as 'Early Intervention'.

Early intervention services are available throughout the country.  They include special education services provided by qualified professionals, including early intervention teachers, speech-language therapists and educational psychologists, whom form a team and work closely with other health professionals.  The Ministry of Education provides special education funding to 'Accredited Early Intervention Providers' such as new Zealand CCS branches, and trusts that also provide early intervention services in some parts of the country.

Early intervention team members may visit the home to provide support to the child and their family and whanau.  They also work with teachers and other staff in early childhood education centres and with school staff when helping to settle the child into school.

To find out more about these services, check in the Government Services section of your Local Telephone Directory under 'E' for Education or 'S' for special Education.  You can also call your nearest Ministry of Education: Special Education Office to find out more.

Licensed and/or Chartered Services

If you plan to leave your child in the care of a service, for example because you want to enter the paid work force or enrol in a programme of study, you need to look for a licensed and/or chartered service that suits you and your child.

Licensed and/or chartered early childhood education services meet standards set by government for their property, health and safety, staff, education and care programmes, and management.  They receive funding from the government to help meet their running costs.

Licensed and/or chartered services can include: childcare centres, playcentres, kindergartens, ao'ga, Montessori, Steiner schools, home-based care and K?hanga Reo.

Licence-Exempt Services

Licence-exempt services, such as playgroups, Pacific Islands Early Childhood groups and Ng? Puna K?hungahunga and are run by parents, whanau and caregivers and meet lesser Ministry of Education requirements.  They also receive funding from the Ministry.