Out of School Care – What Parents Want for Their Kids

Parents who most need the support of out-of-school services to help care for their kids are often not able to get ready access to it, a Families Commission report says.

Caring for kids – Parents’ views on out-of-school services and care, a report produced for Hon Paula Bennett, Minister for Social Development and Employment, shows that most Kiwi parents who use out-of-school services (OSS) are happy with the service provided; it fulfils a vital role in the care and support they give their children.

But those who need such support the most, such as low income, sole parent, Māori and Pacific families, can face barriers to getting their children into such services, including cost, lack of information about locally available services, lack of information on their eligibility for subsidies, and (for some) difficulty in finding services appropriate for their culture.

Families Commissioner Gregory Fortuin says, “This is critical information for our leaders and decision makers as they grapple with the issue of how to provide, fund and ensure equitable access to OSS in New Zealand. I am delighted that the Government has recognised the importance of good information on this issue by asking the Families Commission to do this research. I’m confident this will lead to fruitful discussions by government, service funders and service providers to see how these barriers can be overcome.”

Mr Fortuin says the issue of access to OSS is particularly important for work-seeking parents. The research confirms that the availability of OSS is an aide to parents on a benefit getting into the workforce.

“Another other key finding is that most parents want to care for their school-aged children themselves, or use the informal care available through extended family and whānau.

“Keeping it in the family is very much the Kiwi way and is a mark of the overall strength and wellbeing of our nation’s families and whānau,” Mr Fortuin says.

ENDS

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