3-C-3 Playcentres
Introduction
Playcentres are services where families manage and implement early childhood education (ECE) programmes for children under six years of age, or for specific groups within this age range. All playcentres are affiliated to the New Zealand Playcentre Association.
This section explains:
- funding conditions for playcentres
- requirements for quality funding rates
- record keeping requirements for playcentres.
Applying for funding
Instructions for completing the RS7 Form can be found in Chapter 9 of this Handbook.
Supervision
Playcentres are required to use a supervision plan approved by their playcentre association.
In order to receive funding at the standard rate, all licensed playcentres must meet both the following minimum supervision requirements and the minimum qualifications for group supervision.
Supervision requirements
- Each playcentre must belong to an association affiliated with the New Zealand Playcentre Federation Incorporated.
- Each playcentre must be organised, equipped, and managed on a cooperative basis.
- Programmes must be partly provided by parents of the children attending the session.
- Each session must have no more than 30 children in attendance.
- The maximum adult:child ratio is 1:5.
- All children under the age of two and a half years must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.
Minimum qualifications for group supervision
The Playcentre Education Diploma Curriculum 2000 took effect on 1 January 2002.
Please direct any questions about the qualifications for playcentres to your playcentre association contact person or your Ministry local office.
Options for quality funding rates
To be eligible for the quality funding rates, licensed playcentres must meet the requirements of the minimum supervision requirements and one of the options from the table below.
Where two or more different qualifications are required they must be held by separate people.
| Qualifications Requirements |
| Option 1 |
Option 2 |
Option 3 |
One parent / whānau member with:
- a Diploma of Teaching (ECE) or
- a New Zealand Teachers Council- approved ECE teaching qualification or
- a qualification held to be equivalent to the Diploma of Teaching (ECE) as a result of an application to NZQA prior to 1 January 1995 or
- an overseas ECE teaching qualification assessed by the NZQA as being equivalent to an Teachers Council approved ECE teaching qualification or
- a New Zealand Free Kindergarten Diploma.
|
One parent / whānau member present with:
- a Playcentre in Context: Course 5 Certificate or
- the Playcentre Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education
Plus one parent/whānau member present with:
- a Playcentre Practice: Course 4 Certificate or equivalent.
|
At least three parents / whānau members present with the NZ Playcentre Education Diploma Curriculum 2000 certificates at a minimum of these levels:
- one parent / whānau member with The Playcentre Way: Course 2 Certificate
- one parent / whānau member with Playcentre Sessions: Course 3 Certificate
- one parent / whānau member with Playcentre Practice: Course 4 Certificate.
Plus one parent / whānau member in training for every three families enrolled. |
Changing funding rates
Use this table to find out when and how to change your licensed playcentre’s funding rate:
| If a playcentre... |
and... |
then... |
using... |
| is funded at the standard rate |
can meet the requirements of one of the quality options |
you may apply to be funded at the quality rate |
the EC11 Form. |
| is funded at the quality rate |
can no longer meet the requirements of any of the quality options |
you must apply to return to the standard funding rate |
the EC11 Form. |
| is funded at the quality rate |
has had a change in parents/whānau involved in leading the ECE programme, but still meets the requirements of one of the quality options |
you must inform your Ministry of Education Local Office of the change |
the EC11/A Form. |
Funding rate changes for quality rate funding are effective from the date the EC11 Form is received by the Ministry.
Record keeping
The table below shows the record keeping requirements for playcentres:
| If your playcentre... |
you must... |
| is funded at the standard funding rate |
- have enrolment records for each child and
- keep attendance records to show the hours each child attended.
|
| is funded at the quality funding rate |
- have enrolment records for each child and
- keep attendance records to show the hours each child attended
plus
- meet the record keeping requirements for quality funding rates (see Section 3-C-2 for further details).
|