Auckland early education manager warns small centres ‘dying breed’

Stuff co.nz 27 August 2017
Family First Comment: “happy second-homes for kids”? Dream on!
“The number of centres licensed for more than 100 children has doubled in five years, from 80 to 159, with two-thirds of the bigger centres in Auckland. It comes after a 2011 law change allowed for childcare centres to license for 150 children, up from the previous 50.”
And they worry about overcrowding in chicken-houses!!
Mega-childcare centres boasting rolls of 150 children are popping up across the country in record numbers.
A childcare expert warns the rise of super-centres is creating a generation of “assembly-line children” who are at greater risk of long-term harm.
However, not everyone in the industry is convinced of a problem and say big centres are a financial reality and provide happy second-homes to children.
The latest Ministry of Education figures reveal more centres than ever are opening with licenses for 100 to 150 children.
The number of centres licensed for more than 100 children has doubled in five years, from 80 to 159, with two-thirds of the bigger centres in Auckland.
It comes after a 2011 law change allowed for childcare centres to license for 150 children, up from the previous 50.
READ MORE: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/95872621/Auckland-early-education-manager-warns-small-centres-dying-breed?cid=app-iPhone