National calls halt to new early childhood regulations

Restrictive new regulations and criteria for the early childhood sector will not be introduced on 1st December if National is in government, says National’s associate education EC spokesperson, Paula Bennett.

“Labour’s raft of new regulations typifies this government’s prescriptive, interfering, nanny-state approach.

“National is making a promise that, if we are in government, we will delay the introduction of all new regulations and criteria for six months while we take stock, and consult with the sector and parents.

“Some of these proposed new regulations are causing great angst with ECE services as they fear they will seriously impact on their financial viability and some of them are simply unnecessary.”

Examples of regulations causing concern include:

• Gym créches being required to have a ‘learning plan’ for children attending while their caregiver exercises.

• Compulsory sleep rooms even if centres do not need or will not use such a facility, nor have the space to build one.

• A requirement that nannies must do a ‘written risk assessment’ every time they leave the house. For example to pick other children up from school.

• The removing of the regulation requiring all household members in a home-based care environment to be clean of any convictions against children.