Policies that are being put in place in early childhood centres can be negative for different sectors of the early childhood setting and also for management. Here are a few examples:
The qualification policy has had a huge impact on the quality of care for infants in an early childhood setting. With the new funding cuts and the amount of qualified staff being cut down to only 50% in an under two setting, it causes concern for infants who are put into care. Because of this particular cut, infants are only getting 50% of high quality care and jeapordises the amount of specialist knowledge that teachers need to have when working with infants. Helen May, (2008), stated in the Labour's Legacy Report (before the cuts were made) that if the government were to make these specialist cuts, it would show that the government’s priorities do not lie with the education and care for infants and toddlers. Having this policy in place can have implications on management and how they run their centre.
Also the policy of 20 hours free for three to four year olds has caused concern and questioning for infants in an early childhood setting. In the report Early Childhood Education Policy in Aotearoa/ New Zealand: The creation of the 20 Hours Free Programme it states before 2007 subsidies were given to all children in childcare from zero to five, but since this new policy has come into play it allows to cover the average cost of those children in care. In the Labour’s Legacy report, Helen May proposes although this is in place for the three to four year olds there are still “questions concerning the extent to which fees for infants and toddlers will become artificially high” (2008, p. 4).
These policies have made implications for management. The qualification policy and the funding cuts can have an impact on the role of children that are attending the centre. Due to the funding cuts management have had to make decisions on fees for the parents and figure out ways to increase the amount so that it can cover the costs that have been lost. Therefore raising the fee’s for parents enables parents to become concerned on how to afford childcare and may pull their child out of the centre. It also has an implication for management as the quality of care will be decreased therefore parent’s taking their child out of the centre to where they know that their child will get the high quality of care needed.
Another implication due to the 20 hours free policy can relate to childcare centres that have zero to five year olds attending, that although there will be a high demand for over two areas, the under two’s area could lack in children as the parent’s of infants and toddlers find the fee’s to be unaffordable and resulting in pulling their child out.
Reference
Digital video on 20 hours free ece hoax. (2007, March 26). [video].
Retrieved April 27, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0yRz3ir9_8&feature=relmfu
May, H. (2008) Guest editorial: Labour’s legacy. Retrieved April 25, 2011
(n.a) (2008) Early childhood education policy in aotearoa/new zealand:
The creation of 20 hours free programme. Retrieved April 26 2011
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