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the children and family of children with special needs to enable them to work effectively with these children and their parents;

(e) Every year provide a plan of the strategies to be used to show that the service is working towards meeting the requirements of all children with special needs in the early childhood services;

(f) To ensure that children with special needs have opportunities to interact with and join in activities with other children attending the early childhood service;

(g) Where a special group is attached to a service, to specify the relationship between the special group and the early childhood service and how the group is integrated into the life of the early childhood centre or home.

4 Health, Safety and the Environment

Goal

To provide protection, opportunities and facilities which enable children to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially in a healthy manner in conditions of freedom, dignity and respect.

Objectives and Practices

(a) To ensure that the early childhood centre or home-based scheme provides a safe and healthy environment at all times;

(b) To ensure that the well-being of children is promoted at all times by management, staff, care arrangers and caregivers through sensitivity to children’s individual needs;

(c) To ensure that meals, health and safety procedures and routines are at all times incorporated positively into the home or early childhood centre programme and that these are times for pleasant interaction. A statement outlining the routines children will follow during the day should be provided and made available for parents and families in the early childhood service;

(d) To plan and provide a play environment which is accessible to children, adaptable and stimulating, with an easy flow of play between the indoor and outdoor space at all times;

(e) To build on the requirements of the regulations or Codes of Practice to a higher standard and to specify the way in which the equipment and environment will be developed to allow for activities and learning through play.

5 Relationships with Parents and Families

Goal

To provide opportunities for parents and families who have a central role as primary caregivers and educators of their children to be involved in the decision making of the service their children attend.

Objectives and Practices

(a) To ensure that management, staff and caregivers provide appropriate opportunities for parents and families to exercise their right as partners in the early childhood education of their children and to share in decisions about their children’s care and education;

(b) To specify the methods to be used for on-going consultation and communication with parents and the ways in which they will be involved in the decision making of the service;

(c) Every year to provide a plan for the provision of formal and informal parent support and education opportunities and strategies which will support parents in their role;

(d) To make provision at all times for parents and families to discuss their child’s progress and to be informed about their child’s daily programme, and for caregivers to discuss the children in their care with the staff of the early childhood service;

(e) To ensure at all times that parents and families are welcomed and encouraged to stay at the early childhood centre;

(f) To specify the procedure to be used by parents and families to express concerns and lay complaints about management, staff or caregivers of the service and the way in which information about this procedure is communicated to parents and families.

6 Equity

Goal

To ensure that equitable practices are an integral part of the administration and operation of the early childhood service.

Objectives and Practices

(a) To specify how programmes and resources which fairly reflect the values, customs and differences of the families of the children attending the early childhood centre or home-based scheme;

(b) To ensure at all times that programmes and resources are sensitive and responsive to racial and cultural differences among the families of the children attending the early childhood service;

(c) At all times to ensure that children are encouraged to learn in all curriculum areas, irrespective of gender or ability;

(d) To appropriately promote non-sexist behaviour and language by children, parents and staff;

(e) To enable young children to be enriched in an environment which acknowledges New Zealand’s cultural heritage

7 Management

Goal A

Management will be a good employer

Objectives and Practices

(a) To operate a personnel policy containing provisions generally accepted as being necessary for the fair and proper treatment of employees in all respects of their employment.

These will include provision for:

(i) the provision of good and safe working conditions,

(ii) equal employment opportunities,

(iii) impartial selection of suitably qualified persons for appointment,

(iv) opportunities for the professional development of staff,

(v) recognition of the aims, aspirations and cultural differences of ethnic and minority groups.

(b) For care arrangers, to ensure that caregivers:

• are competent as caregivers,

• are selected without prejudice to ethnic origin, or socio-economic status,

• are provided with adequate support,

• are provided with opportunity for relief in time of sickness,

• have opportunities for breaks from caregiving,

• have opportunity for training,

• have opportunity for networking and support meetings with other caregivers,

• have procedures for handling complaints.

(c) Every year to specify the methods to be used to achieve the policies outlined in (a) and (b).