Keeping Kindy Safe
- Kidsfirst
- May 10, 2022
- 2 min read
Kindergarten has been a safe-haven for communities for more than a century – it’s always been a place that tamariki still get to be tamariki, no matter what is going on in the wider world. That has remained true over these pandemic years, too – with a remarkable proportion of Kidsfirst whānau choosing to come back to kindy after lockdowns and continue to entrust children to our care throughout even the most challenging COVID times. It is a testament to the dedication, perseverance and reassuring presence of kaiako that we have had some of the highest return rates in the country over these times – whānau feel comfortable sending their children to kindergarten, and we have also been impressed at how much support they have shown for our Kindy Safe measures.
With the shift to the Orange traffic light setting, many whānau who have chosen to stay away during the Omicron outbreak are thinking about bringing tamariki back. Others who have held back on starting kindergarten are also looking at whether now is the right time to make the move.
Orange also brings its own complexities, and with fewer government restrictions in some areas, Kidsfirst is looking at extending requirements in others – a great deal more personal choice for families can be seen as positive for some, but create new dilemmas for others.
We won’t please all of the people all of the time, and there is no single solution that suits everybody when it comes to COVID – so many of its risks and implications are personal and unique to individual families and tamariki. Attitudes can also vary markedly from one community to the next. And so, the best Kidsfirst can do is to make decisions for the greater good – and to prioritise decisions and measures that put the safety and wellbeing of tamariki first.
Our latest COVID update addresses some of these issues and provides some context for whānau around the decisions that Kidsfirst is making in the transition to Orange. It’s a good resource to refer whānau to if they have questions about our Kindy Safe measures and the thinking behind them.
A new page has been added to our Te Ao Kindy site, too, providing some more detail to prospective whānau who might be hesitant to start at kindergarten as a result of of COVID concerns.
Our kaiako continue to be our most powerful champions, and we are so grateful for those who give their time and energy to help reassure whānau that kindy is a safe place for tamariki to be. A huge thank you and ka pai to those who take part in videos like these – we get a lot of feedback from whānau about how reassuring it is to hear these messages from kaiako – you do us all proud, koia kei a koutou – you're awesome.