Childcare conference covers wide range

Press, 30 August 1985, Page 5

Childcare conference covers wide range

About 200 childcare workers from throughout New Zealand will be in Christchurch this week-end for the Childcare Association’s annual conference. The Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs Hercus, will open the conference this evening.

On the conference agenda is a special workshop by the children’s writer, Margaret Mahy, on children’s books. Other topics will include introducing Maori in childcare centres, an update on

the Christchurch Child Development study, childhood nutrition, puppets, playgrounds, drama, child abuse, and sex stereotyping. The association was founded in 1963 by Mrs Sonja Davies to cater for what was then a small band of centres. There are now about 600 centres throughout New Zealand, including 54 in Christchurch, employing about 2000 workers and looking after about 16,000 children.

Te Kohanga Reo (Maori language nests) now make up about 15 to 20 per cent of these, but they are run by Te Kohanga Reo Trust, a division of the Maori Affairs Department. The other childcare centres come under the Social Welfare Department. From April next year, however, childcare will be incorporated in the Education Department. This will be an important topic of discussion at the week-end’s conference.