Welcome Labour Return to Valuing Families

Playcentre Welcomes Labour’s Return to Valuing Families

Budget signals support for parents as educators
Media Release
18 May 2006

The New Zealand Playcentre Federation welcomed today’s budget release that 511 Playcentres across the country would receive a much-anticipated boost in funding.

It has been 63 years since Janet Fraser, wife of Labour leader Peter Fraser, opened the first Playcentre in New Zealand. Janet Fraser, along with the 59 other ladies who attended, would be delighted to see that over half a century later, New Zealand’s priorities remain focussed on supporting children alongside their families.

“Helen Clark has often said that the Government values families.” said Mrs Robynn Kopua, president of the Playcentre Federation, “This budget has made that support tangible, providing resources for parent-led education for young-children.”

“It is great that this Government is continuing to invest in the organisation that it formed 63 years ago. Playcentre was a leader worldwide when it was founded, and we still lead the way today in high quality early childhood education and support for families. This increased Government funding for our programmes will help ensure that young children and their whanau will benefit for many more years to come.”

“Research proves that Playcentre not only educates children and their parents; it also supports communities.. The social capital developed through Playcentre will continue to make a contribution to New Zealand to go from strength to strength.”

“Playcentre is a unique New Zealand organisation. Current regulatory requirements put a huge administrative burden on our families, one that would hardly have been imaginable in Janet Fraser’s day. This funding will enable us to focus on Playcentre parents’ main priority, acting as children’s first and best educators.”

ENDS

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