MEDIA RELEASE
29 May 2009
For immediate release

Extension of ‘20 hours free’ scheme to Playcentres good for rural

Rural Women New Zealand welcomes news that its call to extend the ‘20 hours free’ early childhood education scheme to Playcentres and Kohanga Reo has been heeded in the Budget 2009.

“We wrote to the Minister of Agriculture as recently as 16 April urging the Government to fulfill this election promise, giving it the highest priority it deserves,” says Sue Saunders, RWNZ’s education spokesperson.

A 2007 report by Rural Women New Zealand showed around 30 percent of rural communities have no early childhood services at all.

“Those that do are often parent led-facilities such as Playcentres,” says Ms Saunders.

“The exclusion of Playcentres from the original 20 hours free early childhood scheme therefore had a greater negative impact on rural communities, where no alternative is available.”

RWNZ hopes this new funding will spark the growth of more parent-led centres in rural communities.

RWNZ also welcomes the removal of the six hour daily limit for the early childhood scheme from 1 July 2011. This restriction had unfairly disadvantaged rural parents who often have longer distances to travel.

ENDS

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