Prof Helen May, dean of education at the University of Otago College of Education, said the professional development teams gave early childhood education staff skills in new pedagogical approaches and developments, to ensure children experienced the best learning possible.
They also provided support to at-risk early childhood centres, or centres with poor Education Review Office reports.
Prof May was dismayed the Ministry of Education's budget decision could leave the Otago and Southland region without any professional development support at the start of 2010.
"Centres that had embarked on a long-term professional development journey will find it abruptly ended at the end of the year.
Centres at risk of closing, or who get poor Education Review Office reports (usually referred to us by the Ministry of Education) will be left without support and advice," she said.
New Zealand universities have had a consortium contract under the Ministry of Education to deliver professional development to early childhood services across their regions since 1991.
Prof May said the contract would end in December and it would have been expected a request for proposal (RFP) for a follow-on contract would be released this year.
"In the Budget, there was an indication that the new contracts would have a more targeted focus and some cutbacks were anticipated. The significant issue is the Ministry of Education's decision to delay releasing the RFP until later in 2010, putting any chance of continuity at risk.
"This is destructive," she said.
"The consequences of this are considerable, both for the sector and the universities. The universities have built up staffing expertise with a high level of capability in early childhood professional development given the long-term nature of the contracts.
"With no RFP, and therefore no contract operating during 2010, we have no choice but to disestablish our professional development teams.
"It will not be possible to re-establish the team. The expertise will be lost."
Prof May said there were also broader concerns expressed by the professional development staff themselves and the centres and services they work with.
"The consequence of delaying the RFP is the whole sector is left without professional development.
"There are many issues arising out of this, but most alarming is the withdrawal of the kind of professional support provided by our staff to at-risk centres or centres with poor ERO reports.
"We can name centres that would have closed - and will, without this support."
Prof May said New Zealand early childhood education was at the international forefront of innovative practice, policy and pedagogy.
She said the Council of Deans of Education, which represented the seven universities providing teacher education programmes in New Zealand, was preparing a submission to Minister of Education Anne Tolley.
