Celebrating Diwali or Deepavali, the Indian Festival of Lights is a fun way to bring Indian music and culture into your early childhood service and strengthen links with the Indian diaspora (or scattering of people to other countries).
It is very important to be strong in one’s own cultural heritage and to participate in a shared, common c
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This story uncovers how a chemical‑burn incident at a Kindercare centre was not just a one‑off mistake but the result of systemic failures in safety, oversight, and regulation.
See how both WorkSafe and the Ministry of Education allowed these risks to go unchecked, and what it means for children’s safety in ECE.
The Problems Included:
1. Unsafe chemical storage: Industrial sanitiser was stored under the kitchen sink next to general dishwashing liquid, in similar‑looking containers with similar labels.
2. Poor activity planning: Staff began the activity without enough detergent, leading to trips back to the centre (where a teacher collected a container they believed was dishwashing liquid) and to the dairy (where the centre manager went to buy more).
3. No RAMS was completed: The water‑slide activity was known about the day before and parents were informed so children would bring clothing for wet play, yet the centre did not complete a risk assessment of the activity.
4. Use of unlicensed outdoor space: The centre routinely used a grass section outside the gate as an outdoor activity area, despite it not being licensed or approved.
5. No one questioned the container of industrial sanitiser: When the chemical was taken from the kitchen, and again when it was poured onto the slide, no staff member or the manager involved in the activity noticed or challenged the container.
6. Long‑term regulatory lack of oversight: The Ministry of Education had not conducted a full compliance assessment of the Kindercare centre since 2011.
Heather Joshi. May 16, 2010. Professor Heather Joshi is the former director of the Centre for Longitudinal Studies in London where she oversaw one of
There will always be differing opinions about whether artificial turf or natural grass is the better option for an early childhood service. It’s increasingly common to see artificial turf in New Zealand ECE services. But its presence often raises questions for kaiako, leaders and parents about costs, safety, maintenance, and which option truly serves children best.
ECE Service Lockdown Policy Template and Procedures.
The terror incident in Christchurch in March 2019 prompted many ECE services to review their lockdown procedures, leaving us questioning whether we are well-prepared for situations where we may need to go into lockdown.
Some services in Christchurch found themselves unprepared, part
Early Childhood Centre Design Ideas.
We show, with photographs, a different design and approach to using space for supporting small group and project work. The design comes from a bilingual kindergarten, called a ‘Kita’ in Hamburg, Germany.
The photographs were taken, by Sarah Alexander, during a guided tour of the facility for
By Dr Sarah Alexander. June 11, 2020. The ECE sector has not been immune to the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis, but little is
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