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"How we remember, what we remember, and why we remember form the most personal map of our individuality." - Christina Baldwin

Funding Strategies for Equitable Access

The 22nd UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood, "Funding Strategies for Equitable Access to Early Childhood Education: The Case of New Zealand," describes the funding system in New Zealand...

"In New Zealand, community groups and private organisations have been providing early childhood education and care services (ECES) for over 125 years. The government has not been directly providing ECES.  Instead, it has paid subsidies to selected community-run (NGO) ECES since the early 20th century, and to private-enterprise childcare centres during the recent several decades. Until 1990, the formula for ECES subsidies depended on what organisational lobbyists had sought and won. (All types of service had won something, however). A pre-requisite for a subsidy was the meeting of government-set standards. Families who met income and/or health/disability criteria could also apply for a fees subsidy from government's welfare department.

"By 1990, the MInistry of Education had also been involved in ECES for several decades through three major channels.  It funded training -- both pre-service and in-service -- of early childhood staff.  As well, it operated a national network of public servants to license, monitor, advise and support ECES programmes.  Finally, it employed specialists to provide interventions for children with disabilities.

"New Zealand's relatively high levels of goverment support for early childhood education -- in terms of funding, training, and advice and support -- came in response to a long-standing, relatively high level of support and advocacy by NGOs and families. Notably, politicians had learned that government support for ECE had an impact on voting patterns."

To read this entire policy brief, go to...
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31152&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Funding systems will be one of the topics explored at the 2005 World Forum on Early Care and Education in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  For details on this international conference, go to http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0201

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