With the recent publication by the New Zealand Ministry of Education of the names and locations of those early childhood education and care (ECEC) services who had breached the minimum standards in 2019, local in home care provider, Tiny Nation, has noted that it has “become clear in the wake of the list being released that the home-based service type has been unfairly targeted”, mirroring concerns expressed about family day care in the Australian context.

New Zealand’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is experiencing similar challenges to those in Australia, with educators taking on second jobs to supplement low wages, challenges with an oversaturated provider market, and a struggle to be viewed as professionals, local news source Stuff has reported.

Was one of your 2020 goals to think more about your personal and professional wellbeing? Perhaps you promised yourself that this would be the year that you took a chance, stepped out of your comfort zone, and tried something new. Maybe you promised yourself you’d dust off your passport, and travel?

Two major New Zealand studies have placed immigrant and refugee children at the centre of the resettlement process in the country, researching how early childhood education can help refugees find a sense of belonging in Aotearoa, and sustain a sense of belonging in home countries.

The theme for the 2020 Childspace conference is “Wellbeing – Mana Atua”, a theme that encourages educators and others working in the broader early childhood education and care (ECEC) profession to delve into their own emotional health and wellbeing, coming to view it as the best investment that can be made for the personal and professional self.