Summary

Key Highlights as at 1 July 2009

• The number of early childhood education services has increased by 14.6% (454) since 2005, to 4,890 services. This includes 525 more licensed services and 71 less licence-exempt groups.
• There were 4,123 licensed services.
• There were 767 licence-exempt ECE groups, one less than at 1 July 2008.
• There has been a steady decline in the number of kōhanga reo services since 1 July 2005.
• There were 201,437 licensed and licence-exempt enrolments in early childhood education.
• There were 180,910 enrolments in licensed early childhood education services, an increase of 10.0% (16,389) since 2005.
• Education and care services and homebased services have seen the highest increase in enrolments from 2005 to 2009. These services tend to offer all-day, flexible programmes that require little parental involvement. In contrast, kindergarten enrolments have declined since 2005, historically they provide more sessionally based programmes. Playcentres and kōhanga reo have seen small declines in enrolments over the past five years.

Footnote

1. The July 2009 Annual Census of ECE services was was formerly known as the Annual Census of Children and Staff at Licensed Early Childhood Education (ECE) services and licence-exempt groups.