To: The Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development.
Pursuant to section 5 of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister for Social Development, by this instrument, gives the following direction.
D i r e c t i o n
1. Title-This direction is the direction setting approval criteria for specified early childhood education programmes for purposes of social obligations under the Social Security Act 1964.
2. Commencement-This direction comes into effect
on 15 July 2013.
3. Interpretation-(1) In this direction:
Act means the Social Security Act 1964
ECE means early-childhood education in an approved early childhood education programme (as defined
in Regulation 3(1) of the Social Security (Childcare Assistance Regulations 2004 made under section 132AC of the Act)
government priorities relating to ECE and vulnerable children means:
(a) facilitating children's participation in ECE; and
(b) having policies and procedures to prevent, identify and report child abuse and neglect; and
(c) having policies and procedures to ensure that children are not placed at risk through the delivery of the programme
positive educational outcomes for children means facilitating children's mental, social, physical, and emotional development, and receptiveness to learning
in preparation for moving into ECE or school
supervised, in relation to an early childhood education programme, means:
(a) the parents or caregivers of the children to whom the programme is provided are periodically visited and provided with ongoing support by the programme provider to ensure the effective delivery of the programme; and
(b) the programme provider provides adequate supervision of its employees, contractors, or volunteers who visit parents and caregivers of children for that purpose; and
(c) each child's progress and participation in the programme is recorded and monitored
specific learning outcomes means a planned framework for delivery of the programme to children on a regular basis.
(2) Terms otherwise defined in section 3(1) of the Act have the same meanings in this direction.
4. Approval of early childhood education programmes under section 60RAB(1)(b): criteria-In the exercise
of your power under section 60RAB(1)(b) of the Act
to approve an early childhood education programme as a recognised early childhood programme for the purposes of the social obligations in section 60RA(3)(a)(i) or (b)(i)
of the Act, the criteria to which you must have regard are the following:
(a) The programme must provide early childhood education to children under the age of 6 in their
own homes and not to other children;
(b) the programme must deliver positive educational outcomes for the children to whom it is provided;
(c) the programme must be supervised and have specific learning outcomes;
(d) the programme must be aligned with government priorities relating to ECE and vulnerable children.
Dated at Wellington this 24th day of June 2013.
HON PAULA BENNETT, Minister for Social Development.
Explanatory Note:
This note is not part of the direction but is intended to indicate its general effect.
This direction to the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development under the Social Security Act 1964 ("the Act"), which comes into effect on 15 July 2013, sets out approval criteria to which the chief executive must have regard in approving an early childhood education programme as a recognised early childhood education programme for the purpose of the social obligation in section 60RA(3)(a)(i) or (b)(i) of the Act. This obligation is the obligation that beneficiaries receiving main benefits under the Act and their spouses or partners take all reasonable steps to ensure that dependent children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in and attending a recognised early childhood education programme unless they are attending school or (for 5-year-olds in certain circumstances) being actively taught at home.
By way of explanation, a recognised early childhood education programme is defined in section 60RAB(1) of
the Act as:
- an approved early childhood education programme
(as defined in Regulations made under section 132AC of the Act). This refers to a programme of early childhood education provided by a licensed early childhood service, a certificated playgroup, or a licence-exempt early childhood education and care centre (within the meaning in section 309 of the Education Act 1989) that charges a uniform monetary fee for the participation of children in the programme;
- an early childhood education programme approved by the chief executive under section 60RAB(1)(b) of the Act having regard to approval criteria prescribed by the Minister by direction. This direction prescribes approval criteria for this purpose;
- a programme of early childhood education provided by a school designated as a correspondence school under the Education Act 1989.