Call for ‘time out’ as Auckland mayor proposes scrapping childcare centres

Thursday, 8 December 2022

Toddlers Van and Jackson Francis were sad to learn that their childcare centre may soon be gone.

About 350 children and their parents are calling for “time out” on a “rushed” budget proposal from Auckland mayor Wayne Brown that would see their council-run early education centres cut.

An emergency meeting was held on Wednesday at Kauri Kids in Beach Haven, to discuss the future of 10 early childhood education centres (ECEs) relied on by parents.

The proposal to scrap the centres is one of several budget cuts to be voted on at a council meeting next week. Kauri Kids children and parents only learnt this week they were in the firing line.

One mum who uses the ECE, Katrina Francis, said the centres played an important role in helping parents return to the workforce at a time when the cost of living was stinging.

Around 350 children and 60 teachers will be affected by the proposed cut of 10 childcare centres across Auckland.

Education Ministry figures show a dramatic fall in the number of new early childhood services being set up and a long running spike in the number going out of business. (First published February 2021)

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She said Kauri Kids was unique because it allowed parents to access small chunks of low-cost or free childcare – instead of private childcare, which requires caregivers to sign up for a minimum number of hours per week and make top-up payments.

Young Jossi couldn’t believe what she was hearing at Wednesday’s emergency meeting.

“I just feel like they’re picking on the lower deciles with these cuts,” she said.

According to briefing documents by council staff, the 10 Kauri Kids centres run at a loss, costing $200,000 a year. But, staff suggest that if the spaces used by the ECEs were leased to a private enterprise, childcare or otherwise, $1 million in savings could be made.

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The briefing states there is an oversupply of childcare and a shortage of staff in the market, and so “provider consolidation” would be a benefit.

Meeting organiser and mum Claire Barker couldn’t disagree more. She said Kauri Kids fills a gap because of its community-owned model.

“We argue that community-owned ECEs provide higher-quality education. These kinds of places are also really important for maternal mental health.”

Another parent, Rose Goodliffe, called for a “time out” on the process, saying consultation should happen before any decisions are made.

Councillor Richard Hills told parents he was “sceptical” the council would get a million dollars leasing out community spaces.

“I think it’s a lot of community pain for not that much gain in terms of savings.”

Hills said if the council wanted to have a conversation about whether it should be providing childcare, it ought to be had, but not “rushed through” as a budget cut without consultation.

“It can be challenging working with the mayor because he’s very, kind of, forthright,” he said.

A long list of cuts proposed in mayor Wayne Brown’s budget will be voted on next week. While some will be consulted on with the community, Hills anticipates that the fate of Kauri Kids will be delegated to staff.

He encouraged parents to email the council, voicing their opinion, and said he was pushing to have Kauri Kids future included in consultation on the next Long Term Plan.

Kaipātiki Local Board members John and Paula Gillon said they had been totally “blind sided” by the move to cut the childcare centres.

“When the mayor was talking about cuts in his election campaign it was CCOs and consultants, not grassroots support for women and families,” Paula Gillon said.