Families Commission report on formal school aged childcare trends
On Monday the Families Commission released a report on after-school care services. The report, Caring for kids- parents’ views on out-of-school services and care, was prepared to provide an evidence base to support the Minister of Social Development- Paula Bennett’s decisions regarding the Out-of-School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) review and wider considerations on improving childcare for low-income families and whānau. The report will also be used to identify childcare issues which may impede Domestic Purposes Benefit recipients entering paid employment or employment training when their youngest child turns six years of age as determined by the Future Focus welfare reform package.
The report showed that Māori, and respondents earning less than $20,000 were more likely to identify cost as a reason for not using formal OSS than New Zealand European respondents. For Māori, whānau play a significant role in caring for children before and after school, and in the school holidays. The report also found that Māori want more affordable, quality childcare to be made available in their living areas, with options of care which offered cultural content.
However, in terms of use of formal OSS, employment not ethnicity appears to have a greater influence ; children in families where a sole-parent is employed or both parents are employed were significantly more likely to attend before or afterschool formal OSS or school holiday programme compared to children in families where a parent did not work