Fears for child care

Last year's Budget cuts continue to haunt Dunedin early childhood educators, with many unable to hire qualified staff as they brace themselves for this month's "black budget".

Once proud to have 100% fully trained staff, some educators can now only afford to hire untrained staff as a $280 million cut, over four years, from last year's Budget takes effect.

The previous government had encouraged early childhood education (ECE) providers to have only qualified staff in their centres and they had received subsidies for them.

The cuts meant, from February this year, funding was only provided for up to 80% of a centre's qualified staff.

The impact was evident in an advertisement Dunedin's Little Wonders centre placed in the Otago Daily Times on Saturday. It was seeking an "untrained early childhood teacher", which raised the ire of New Zealand Teachers Council director Dr Peter Lind, who was "concerned" about the wording of the advertisement.

He questioned if people would be happy to see a medical practice advertise for an untrained doctor.

Little Wonders owner Ben Hurst said all staff in its centres were called teachers "because we feel if they are in the classroom with children they are teaching", but would consider different wording for future advertisements.

He would not be drawn on why the centre was looking specifically for untrained staff, calling it a political debate.

However, Dunedin Community Childcare Association (DCCA) director Jo Ellis said the association was "not prepared to go down the untrained route yet".

"We will have as many qualified staff as possible and with attrition we are replacing qualified staff with people who are in training for a qualification," she said.

So far, three trainees were working in the DCCA's five centres, although not in nurseries.

Discussions about fee increases were taking place ahead of the Budget as the association had "carried the burden" of increased costs for too long.

"We are worried. We are prepared for a black budget," she said.

Ms Ellis had also noticed an increase in ECE graduates seeking jobs in a tough market, with about five applications coming in a week.

A major early childhood education employer in the city, who declined to be named, said the organisation could not afford to employ fully qualified staff.

"There has been a significant shift away from 100% trained early childhood teachers," she said.

The organisation had increased parents' fees, and centres which had been meeting 100% qualified staff ratios now had about 80%.

The developments had stopped early childhood improvements in their tracks, leaving the sector "treading water".

"We are all just hoping we are going to hold on to what we've got and not lose any more."

National umbrella group New Zealand Kindergartens chief executive Clare Wells said the group had made a pledge to maintain fully qualified staff in its centres, a commitment which had forced a "pulling back" in other areas such as maintenance and professional development.

- ellie.constantine@odt.co.nz