Appendix 1: Feedback on Limited Attendance Centres Consultation May-June 2008

How the respondents were categorised:

Fitness sector

• Individual facilities or services (such as gyms or recreation facilities) considering opening a limited attendance centre 
• Groups of facilities, services or organisations (such as gyms or recreation facilities) considering opening limited attendance centres

ECE sector

• Licensed or chartered ECE services or teachers

ECE membership or umbrella organisations

• Academics

Licensed ECE centres in gyms

• Licensed ECE centres situated in gyms or recreation facilities

Other

• Other respondents

Feedback on Standards

Ratios of adults to children

The fitness sector

The fitness sector generally supported lower ratios of adults to children, saying that one adult to four children would be uneconomic.  One organisation suggested a ratio of 1:8. 

The ECE sector

All respondents from the ECE sector advocated higher ratios of adults to children, especially where younger age groups (under twos) were receiving education and care, or suggested conditions (such as there being a registered teacher on site) if the ratio of 1:4 was to be used.

Licensed ECE services in gyms

Respondents’ comments varied from support for the 1:4 ratio, to advocating higher ratios of adults to children for younger ages, to much lower ratios of adults to children for over two year olds (up to 1:15). 

Other

One respondent suggested a ratio of 1 adult to 6 or 7 children.  Two organisations expressed concern about the proposed rate of 1 adult to 4 children, especially given the proposal not to have any qualified staff. 

Hours of operation

The fitness sector

Responses from the fitness sector agreed with the proposed hours of operation. 

The ECE sector

The ECE sector expressed general concern about the early start and late finish of the proposed hours of operation, with a number commenting that it was not in the best interests of children to be in centres at such early or late times. 

Licensed ECE services in gyms

Licensed ECE services in gyms were divided, with comments ranging from the 7pm closing time perhaps being limiting for some city gyms to others advocating shorter hours. 

Other

One organisation said that “Limited attendance centres are designed to meet the needs of parents.  This proposal is not designed from the perspective of children.  Having children in centres at either 6am or 6pm is not in their best interests”. 

Another respondent also felt that hours of operation should start later and finish earlier. 

Maximum Service Size

The fitness sector

The fitness sector generally supported larger maximum service sizes.  One organisation suggested a limit of 20.

The ECE sector

Comment from the ECE sector was divided and varied.  It included:

• advocating for a lower maximum service size;
• suggesting a differentiation by age (with limits on the number of children aged under two who could be at the centre at any one time);
• agreeing to the suggested maximum service size of 16;
• agreeing to the suggested maximum service size of 16 but only with conditions (e.g. that there was a trained ECE teacher present).

Licensed ECE services in gyms

Comment from licensed ECE services in gyms was also divided with one advocating no maximum; another advocating making decisions on service size on a case by case basis (with the possibility of having a larger service size); and another advocating smaller maximum service sizes. 

Other

One organisation supported the proposed maximum service size but expressed concern about how a facility would manage a situation in which “18 women or so turn up for an aerobics class that caters for 40, each with a child in tow”. 

Feedback on Criteria

Curriculum

The fitness sector

The fitness sector expressed concern about what may be required of them under the Curriculum standard.  One organisation said that they were “concerned that the focus for the centres is still on learning outcomes… when essentially this is a child minding service”.  Similarly another organisation expressed concern about the level of education of children that they may be asked to carry out. 

The ECE sector

All ECE respondents linked this question to the need for qualified staff at limited attendance centres.  Their resounding feedback was that qualified staff are needed to deliver the curriculum standard.

Licensed ECE services in gyms

Four out of the six respondents in this category said that limited attendance centres should have qualified staff to deliver the curriculum standard.  Conversely, one said that their role is simply to look after children for a very short time and therefore they should not have to provide any sort of programme. 

Other

Other respondents made varied comments, with one respondent advocating a more basic standard and the two other organisations calling for more documentation and detail, including about how to define “close proximity” of the parents.

Health and Safety

The fitness sector

One organisation said that health and safety requirements are fair and reasonable.

The ECE sector

A number of ECE sector respondents expressed doubt that untrained staff could properly monitor the health and safety of young children or said that trained teachers were needed in limited attendance centres to ensure this.  Other concerns included the need for staff at limited attendance centres to be Police vetted and to hold First Aid certificates. 

Licensed ECE services in gyms

Licensed ECE services in gyms were divided equally on this matter, with the few who commented expressing strongly that unqualified staff are not well placed to deliver the requirements of this standard.

Other

One organisation commented: “Besides ensuring that all adults in the limited attendance centres can attend to children who are hurt or sick, that they can check for hazards, administer first aid, carry out evacuation procedures etc, the process and procedures around child abuse are not clear.  Documents are required to be consistent with CYFS or NZ Police guidelines, but there should be a clear statement about police vetting all Limited Attendance Centre workers”. 

Premises and Facilities

The fitness sector

The fitness sector made few comments about the Premises and Facilities standard, but one organisation felt that the 2.5 square metre requirement per child is fair and reasonable. 

The ECE sector

Views were divided about the standard amongst the 15 ECE sector respondents.  Three said that there should be a requirement for sleeping facilities at limited attendance ECE centres, and two expressed concern about the quality of supervision if premises did not have to have certain facilities on site.  Again, a few ECE sector respondents called for qualified staff at limited attendance centres. 

Licensed ECE services in gyms

Licensed ECE services in gyms also made few comments about the standard.  Those who did, however, said that the standards should be as stringent as for other early childhood centres.

Other

Other respondents also said that the standards should be as stringent as for other early childhood centres.

Management and Administration

The fitness sector

The fitness sector expressed support for this standard. 

The ECE sector

The ECE sector was more divided on the standard, again making a link to the lack of requirement for qualified staff.  Comments included: “How will untrained adults know how to do "appropriate" documentation, write policies, procedures, and know about ethics (i.e. not sharing same information with other parents and the general public)”.

Licensed ECE services in gyms

Most of the licensed ECE services in gyms that responded were in support of the Management and Administration standard. 

Other

One organisation did not support the standard.  They commented as follows:

• More detail is needed around policies relating to early childhood care and education, as well as documentation about management and administration procedures.
• Although parents are required to be in close proximity to the children and able to resume responsibility for the children at short notice, this standard needs to detail how this might happen, for example, when a parent is doing swimming training in the service provider’s pool.
• More documentation is needed around meeting the child’s needs rather than the parents’.

Another respondent recommended Police vetting and basic childcare courses for limited attendance centre staff.