AIDS Foundation Clear On Whangarei Child Care Centre Ban

MEDIA RELEASE: 11 May 2012

AIDS Foundation Clear On Whangarei Child Care Centre Ban

Demands for a ‘care plan’ to be established before a Whangarei boy can return to child care have been criticised by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) as well as an HIV medical expert and education leaders. After a public backlash against the child care centre’s stance earlier this week, the Mokopuna O Moerewa early childhood centre, issued a statement claiming that the child “should spend a few days at home” so that “it could get a care plan in place”.

Shaun Robinson, NZAF Executive Director, has called the statement disingenuous saying “This ‘care plan’ is not caring. It’s simply a PR strategy to deflect criticism and keep a child out that they consider undesirable. The best scientific and medical evidence available was presented to the centre management team to say that there was no need for a ‘care plan’ and that the practices of virtually every other reputable educational provider in the country would be more than sufficient. Unfortunately, the child care centre management insisted that science, medicine and educational best practice were not useful to them.”

One of New Zealand’s leading Infectious Diseases specialists, Dr Mark Thomas, stated this morning that child care centres should already have plans that protect children from viruses like HIV and “Hepatitis B which is much more common in New Zealand and is much more readily transmitted. Every education facility ought to have a system for dealing with children who have had a blood injury. It’s like on a rugby field; the person goes off, the injury is covered and transmission isn’t possible”. He concluded that this child would “pose no risk” due to the amount of HIV in his blood being so low as to be undetectable.

Richard Storey, General Manager of the Northland Kindergarten Association says “All the Northland Kindergarten Association's staff are fully qualified, registered early childhood professionals, and know that HIV cannot be passed on to other children while playing. We have policies and procedures in place, our staff are totally au fait with children with HIV - it's not an issue.”

His statements have been echoed by David Simpson, a teacher at the Hastings school that Eve van Grafhorst attended in the 1980’s and ‘90s. “We went through a really good process, we considered all the evidence and came to the conclusion that there was no reason not to have Eve at our school”.

The journal Paediatrics and Child Health reported in 2008 that “There has been no report of HIV transmission in child care”, a statement that has been reiterated by Robinson. “HIV isn’t transmitted in child care settings, it never has been and it won’t be in Whangarei. Fortunately, there have been offers from centres, kindergartens and professionals that are willing to accept this child and we know that the family have been delighted to hear about those.

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New Zealand AIDS Foundation | Te Tūāpapa Mate Āraikore o Aotearoa

ENDS

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