Impact of Scrapping Educator Qualification rule in Home-based ECE
November 6, 2024
The minimum requirements for educator qualification in home-based ECE are set to be reduced from next year.
The change will mean a home-based agency with an ECE licence could technically have no educators who have completed even a basic level of childcare training.
The change is being welcomed by the Early Childhood Council which represents the interests of for-profit centre providers, Home-based provider Barnardos, and the NZ Homebase Childcare Association. (Update: 13 November, Kindergartens Aotearoa publicly expressed concern that the changes “mean those caring for young children in their homes don’t need to have any qualifications or knowledge of the needs of young children”.)
Currently, at least 60% of educators within a home-based service must hold a level 4 qualification or higher, and up to 40% of educators can be given 6 months to enrol in training after starting work. Services with 60% qualified educators are funded at a ‘standard’ rate and services with 80% or more are funded at a higher ‘quality’ rate amount. Next year the minimum requirement was set to increase to 80% educators qualified for all home-based services.
However, the government is amending regulation to remove the percentage requirement. From 1 January 2025 services will only need to have educators with at least a Level 4 qualification or enrolled in training within 6 months of starting work. Funding for all home-based services will be made the same regardless of whether a service has any qualified educators or not, and all will receive the ‘quality’ funding amount.
Scrapping of the current regulation for 60% qualified is concerning because it could result in a drop of qualified home-based educators.
It removes an incentive for home-based agencies to have a high proportion of educators that have at least a level four basic educator qualification.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour said the 80% requirement would have been “burdensome for providers and make it difficult for those wanting to enter the profession by limiting opportunities”.
Government recognises the volatility for the home-based sector due to educators moving between providers.
But the ‘regulatory relief’ that Minister Seymour says the government has provided, could result in greater movement of educators than ever.
Service providers could choose to replace educators after 6 months or stop referring children to them to put them out of business, instead of supporting them to enrol in and complete training.
Educators who don’t have the time or money to undertake a training course could move to a different service every 6 months and never undertake training.
Minister Seymour said that the change would reduce red-tape.
However, home-based providers would still need to keep record and proof of qualified educators as well as keeping track of the progress of those without a qualification so the change will not significantly reduce re-tape.
The scrapping of the minimum percentage for qualified educators was a lost opportunity to improve the professional status of home-based education in the ECE sector.
No consideration was given to how it will affect the care and learning of children in home-based.
The change does not support parent confidence in home-based services providing a professional level of care and education better than what a babysitter may provide.
More on Educator Qualification and Home-based that may interest you
‘Burdensome’ home-based childcare qualification rule set to be scrapped | The Post
What is Home-Based Early Childhood Education? My ECE
Educators left NZ’s largest Home-based Service in droves | OECE
