Election 2023: Early Childhood Care and Education toolbox

CPAG has three key election asks in 2023: free preschool education for every child; a warm, safe dry house for every child and good food for every child.

System barriers make it difficult – sometimes impossible – for low-income families to access optimal Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). This is a serious concern because high-quality, culturally responsive ECCE can have a strong positive effect on a child’s wellbeing, development and long-term outcomes.

Conversely, low-quality ECCE can be worse than no ECCE at all, putting children’s long-term wellbeing at risk.

In this toolbox you will find information to back up our first ask. We hope it is useful for parents, teachers, journalists and policy makers because this vital sector is too important to be left to the market.

WANT TO TAKE ACTION? HERE’S HOW YOU CAN:

You can write to Education Minister Hon Jan Tinetti (Labour) or Associate Minister of Education Jo Luxton (Labour). You could also write to National Education Spokesperson Erica Stanford or your local MP or candidate and tell them your concerns about access and quality of early childhood care and education in Aotearoa NZ.

A full list of contact details for Members of Parliament can be accessed here.

Here’s a letter template we’ve created to make things easier for you . Download letter template here

GET ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA #ecceisapublicgood

Here’s a post we’ve created for you: CLICK HERE. Or make your own. We can’t wait to see what you come up with. Don’t forget to tag us in your posts.

CPAG Research (by Dr Jenny Ritchie)

• 2023 ECCE Policy Brief into how the sector could be improved

• Investing in Children? Privatisation and Early Childhood Education and Care in Aotearoa New Zealand

Articles on ECCE in NZ by Michelle Duff for Stuff.co.nz

• The Jugglenaut: How childcare became a for-profit game

• She works 16-hour shifts looking after the sick. Why won't anyone take care of her baby?

• NZ childcare affordability is the worst in the world, Government discovers

• The pēpī penalty: How women take a $116m hit every year from lack of access to childcare

• 'I can't afford to work': 'Free' childcare is a myth, and costs for parents are high

Articles on ECCE in NZ by Dr Sophie Moullin

• ‘No-frills’ Budget won’t cut it for early childhood education

• The strong case for government-provided early education, as opposed to subsidies, in solving the childcare crisis

Overseas research on what works - How the NZ system could be improved

• Rural, conservative, impoverished Oklahoma has built the nation’s brightest model for early education.

• The Impacts of Expanding Access to High-Quality Preschool Education

• Double Dutch: The case against deregulation and demand-led funding in childcare

NEWSHUB OPINION PIECE (2023) Patrick Gower: New Zealand daycares are in disaster, desperately need to be fixed

People in government can redesign parts of the sector that are working against families so that every preschooler can thrive.