Home-Based ECE Regulation: Having Your Say 2007
Content:
Summary:
This discussion document contains new proposals for regulating home-based education and care services. This document is part of the ECE Regulatory Review. Please provide feedback by 2 March 2007.
Last update: 24-Jan-2007
This discussion document is seeking feedback on new regulatory proposals for home-based care services. A full version of the discussion document and a feedback form are available at the end of this page.
About this document
The Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review was signalled in Pathways to the Future: Ngā Huarahi Arataki, the 10 year strategic plan for Early Childhood Education. Reviewing the regulation will allow the government to better respond to the different needs of parents and ECE services, and achieve the goals of the strategic plan.
Regulatory frameworks are pieces of related legislation that set out the `rules' about what people can and can't do. Many frameworks affect our daily lives, and we often give little thought to their existence. Yet people's wellbeing, rights and even personal safety could be at risk if effective regulatory frameworks were not in place.
The Ministry of Education (the Ministry) began revising the legislative framework for the Early Childhood Education sector in 2003. This included amendments to the Education Act 1989 (through the Education Amendment Act 2006) and the development of draft regulations and criteria. For home-based education and care services, these regulations and criteria will replace the requirements of the Education (Home-based Care) Order 1992.
Due to the unique nature of home-based education and care services and the significance of proposed changes, the Ministry believes it is important to seek further input on the proposals for these services.
The Ministry had informal discussions with a number of home-based education and care providers, and with the Education Review Office, to develop regulatory options for issues specific to the home-based ECE sector. We are now seeking formal feedback from you in the sector through this discussion document.
What is included?
This discussion document relates only to regulations that are specific to home-based education and care where further input is needed.
What is not included?
Not included in this discussion document are:
* those aspects of the regulatory review that relate to the whole ECE sector
* the decisions that have already been made
* the Draft Criteria for the licensing of ECE service. These were the subject of a separate consultation exercise which is currently being analysed.
Please note the proposals outlined in this discussion document are proposals only. Services should not act upon them in anticipation of them becoming law. As a result of feedback gained through this discussion process and other policy work, the government may choose to enact the proposed regulations in full, in part, or not at all. The final wording of any regulations will be drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel Office to meet legal requirements.
You can provide feedback by:
* Filling in the feedback form at the back of this document, or if you prefer, writing a submission in any other format
* Emailing your answers to the questions on the feedback sheet, or any other submission you wish to make to feedback.hbc@minedu.govt.nz . You can access the feedback form by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.
* Attending one of the meetings to be held to receive feedback on the proposals. These will be held in limited areas. If you would like to attend please contact Anya Mosor at the Ministry of Education on 04-4638089 to be sure you get an invitation.
Documents available on the following link
http://http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?layout=document&documentid=11790&data=l
All feedback must be received by the Ministry of Education by 2 March 2007.