Kindergartens Aotearoa supports the early childhood education policy announced by the Green Party which promotes free early childhood education for all families and a focus on community provision, not profit.

The policy is spelt out in the alternative Green budget released yesterday.

The Greens propose 20-hours free care and education children from 6 months up to school age with a $10 per day cap on fees for hours above that.

Under the plan, the entitlement would increase to 35 hours in 2029.

The policy was expected to cost almost $5.4b over four years.

The Green would also reduce subsidies over time for profit-oriented centres to move the sector to community ownership.

Kindergartens Aotearoa’s Amanda Coulston says the policy aligns with the kindergarten priorities of early childhood education as a public good which benefits children, families, communities, and society as a whole.

“Taxpayer funding should provide children with a good start in life, not be redirected to corporate profits” says Amanda.

“All children should be able to benefit from quality early childhood education”, she says

Kindergartens Aotearoa represents six regional kindergarten associations around the country that operate more than 260 of New Zealand’s kindergartens, catering for 12,000 children each day, from Auckland’s North Shore to South Otago.

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