FAQ

Early learning happens everywhere – at home, in centres, parks and shops. Young children are developing at an extremely fast pace and everything they encounter offers a new learning experience.

Ministry of Education;
Research shows that children who are involved in quality early childhood education (ECE) benefit in many ways, and that these benefits also extend to their family/whānau and the wider community.

Taking part in ECE builds a strong foundation for your child’s ongoing education, learning and development. Children learn lots of new skills by participating in ECE, building on the skills they learn at home and from their families/whānau.

For those in the sector, the difference is more than just words – ‘day care’ or ‘childcare’ gives the impression that the service we provide is simply ‘care’. It’s much more than that: its care plus education. Early learning captures the essence of what Kids Cove is all about – nurturing and stimulating environments that inspire a love of learning.

We provide morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and some centres also provide breakfast and a late snack where required. Kids Cove follows the guidelines of the healthy heart foundation and our centres have their own cook creating fresh, healthy meals for the children. A nutritious diet is vital for children’s development, so we make sure to provide meals that give children all the nutrients and energy they need. Children love to eat together, so the meal times at a centre are always fun!

No, parents provide nappies for their babies and toddlers.

After you have submitted your inquiry form, we will:

• Call you back.
• Discuss your child’s needs.
• Arrange a time suitable to you for a visit
• If there is a vacancy, we will guide you with the paper work for enrolment
• Add you to a waitlist if no places are available at your centre of choice, if desired.

If there are no vacancies at the centre of your choice, you may want to join your centres waiting list. The lists are regularly reviewed by centre staff and our inquiries team. You’ll be contacted if a place becomes available. You can take yourself off the waitlist by contacting the centre anytime you wish.

Like most early learning centres, Kids Cove closes for public holidays. If your scheduled day falls on a public holiday, we still need to charge to cover staff costs. This is a sector-standard practice. Early learning professionals are entitled to be paid on public holidays as in other industries.

The CCA is a subsidy provided by work and income. Parents or guardians may be able to get assistance if:

• You’re the main caregiver of the child, and
• Your family is on a low or middle income, and
• You’re a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and
• Your child has at least three hours of care of a week.

There are different conditions and requirements that apply before assistance can be given.
What childcare assistance is available to you will depend on your individual situation and the type of care your child is enrol for. WINZ also has a handy online application form. This is available on the Working for Families website www.workingforfamilies.govt.nz.

Our Centre offers the 20 Hours ECE initiative for 3year till 6year olds, reducing the weekly fee for this age group.

Funding rates for “20 hours” have been calculated to cover a minimum standard of care and education. Kids Cove offers a premium service well above minimum standards and our fees reflect a chargeable portion accordingly. If you would like further information on the 20 Hours ECE initiative, we are happy to discuss this with you.

Te Whāriki is part of the New Zealand Government’s National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care. It describes the principles, practices and outcomes essential to young children’s learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school. It seeks for children ‘to grow as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, and secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.’

The framework has a strong emphasis on play-based learning, recognising the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) and social and emotional development. It is made up of four principals and five strands which are interweaved. The five strands are:

• Well-being – Mana Atua
• Belonging – Mana Whenua
• Contribution – Mana Tangata
• Communication – Mana Reo
• Exploration – Mana Aotūroa

There are four foundation principles for the early childhood curriculum:

• Empowerment – Whakamana
• Holistic development – Kotahitanga
• Family and community – Whānau tangata
• Relationships – Ngā hononga

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that reviews schools and early childhood services in New Zealand. ERO’s reports document the findings of a school or service’s education review and provide information for parents, schools, early childhood services and communities.

Each report comments on a school or service’s individual situation, its strengths and, if necessary, next steps for development.

Kids Cove provides meals, including morning and afternoon tea and lunch. We also offer breakfast and a late snack. Please discuss this with the centre manager.

It’s always a good idea to keep a couple of changes of clothing handy in case need of change.

There’s a huge amount of compelling recent research on the first five years of a child’s development and how it affects the rest of their lives. We know that 90 per cent of a child’s brain is developed by age three. We also know that children who start ahead stay ahead and keep accelerating beyond their peers.

Over time, it becomes harder to close gaps between children who are excelling, and those falling behind. That’s why it’s so important to get it right from the start. To give our children the best possible opportunities for their future, we need to lay the foundations early.

The best learning happens in environments that are nurturing and stimulating, where children feel safe. Early learning happens everywhere – young children learn social, emotional, and physical skills through all kinds of activities and observations. Children learn by being engaged and doing, through watching and copying. We offer high-quality, play-based learning and our staff focus on each child’s development. But families can support early learning too.