Early Childhood Education in Disability Survey

Thursday 12 July 2012
Press Release: Parent & Family Resource Centre Inc.

Early Childhood Education in Disability Survey:

The Parent & Family Resource Centre has devised an Early Childhood Education Survey for parents of a child aged 7 years or younger with a disability in Auckland. The survey has been developed collaboratively with assistance from Auckland Council. The survey will provide valuable feedback to PFRC regarding parents’ experience of enrolment and attendance of their child in ECE, enabling PFRC to help lobby for fair and equitable access to ECE in Auckland for all children with a disability.

Lisa Martin, Centre Director of the Parent and Family Resource Centre comments: “Anecdotally we are aware of the difficulties many parents encounter when enrolling their child with a disability in an Early Childhood Education facility. This survey can be completed anonymously and the information collected will be treated confidentially. This survey information will formalise the evidence around ECE attendance and disability. It is our aim that all children with a disability in Auckland will have inclusive access to quality Early Childhood Education.”

The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete and is available on the Parent & Family Resource Centre website at www.pfrc.org.nz/surveys-2/ or print versions are available on request. The survey closes at midday on 31st July 2012. The survey has been sent to all members of PFRC including families and organisations and it is hoped that these members will send the survey on to others in the community.

Mayor Len Brown comments: "As Mayor of all of Auckland, I welcome this important piece of work. One of the pillars of my vision of Auckland as the world's most liveable city is the concept of cohesive, connected communities. If we are to be the inclusive Auckland we all know we need to be, then initiatives like this will play an important role in meeting the needs of children with disabilities in early childhood learning and their parents."

Colleen Brown, Chair of the Early Childhood Implementation Team says: “I believe that this is a unique survey. Not only is it a collaborative effort between an NGO and Auckland Council with the support of the Ministry of Education and other associated organizations like COMET and the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, it is the first time so many parents of children with disabilities have been surveyed about their early childhood education experiences.”

“The information we will get from this will be crucial in the delivery of early childhood learning for children with disabilities for many years to come. Every aspect of early childhood education will benefit from this survey; from looking at good practice to some of the barriers parents with disabled children face when trying to place their children, to any gaps in the provision of ECE across Auckland.” she said.

“It goes to show how collaboration can work successfully and how a process like this can work for the Southern Initiative.”

Lisa Martin
Centre Director, Parent & Family Resource Centre Inc.

ENDS

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