How to apply for a place

At Kidsfirst, we recognise that choosing an early childhood education centre is an important decision for any parent or caregiver. Our philosophy is based on the principle that children come first in everything that we do. When your child comes to kindergarten you'll know they'll get our very best - from a staff of highly qualified teachers to great indoor/outdoor environments with tons of activites and, of course, all the shades and colours of childhood.

What should I look for in an early childhood education centre?
Choosing the right centre for your child is very much a personal decision. A centre should help your child to:

• Make sense of their world
• Embrace new challenges
• Co-operate with others
• Set goals for themselves.

At what age should I enrol my child at Kidsfirst?
It's never too early to enrol your child. Some parents even choose to enrol their children as soon as they're born! The usual time is just before your child reaches 2 years of age. It's preferable to enrol your child well before their 3rd birthday. The majority of parents enrol their child at the time of enquiry, although you can enrol your child at any time. Your child must be enrolled before he or she can attend kindergarten.

How do I start the enrolment process?
Come to the Kidsfirst kindergarten you'd like your child to attend and we'll take you through the enrolment process and answer any questions you may have.

Can I look around the kindergarten before I enrol my child?
You're very welcome to come and check things out before enrolling your child. It's a good opportunity to see what goes on at kindergarten and to ask any questions.

Will I have to fill in any forms, in order to enrol my child?
Just an enrolment form with your child's details that you can take away to complete and return to us.

Do I have to pay any money at the time of enrolment?
No, you do not need to pay anything in order to enrol your child at one of our kindergartens.

Will my child be put on a waiting list? What happens next?
Your child must be enrolled in order to go onto a Kidsfirst waiting list. However, you cannot sign your child up for more than one waiting list at a time.

Children are placed on the list according to their date of birth. This means that priority will be given to the oldest children on the waiting list first, even though some children may have been on it for a longer period of time.

Remember that not all of our kindergartens will have a waiting list.

Parents will be notified when their child can become a 'kindy kid' by phone, letter or email.

How long will my child have to wait?
The time that a child will spend on a waiting list will vary from kindergarten to kindergarten. It will depend on how much demand there is for places at any particular kindergarten at that time. Spaces usually become available when attending children turn 5.

Sometimes this means that there can be a number of spaces that come up in a short period of time as children head off to school, and at other times there may be a longer wait.

How long is the kindergarten day?
The length of the kindergarten day will vary slightly between kindergartens.

As a general rule:

• All day kindergartens will generally operate between the hours of 8.30am and 2.30pm
• Morning sessional kindergartens operate between 3 and 4 hours a day
• Afternoon sessions last for up to 2.5 hours
• Our Early Learning Centre in Aranui also provides all day care for children from the age of 3 months, between 8.00am and 4.30pm.

In addition we have two sessional kindergartens that offer parents a choice of 4 morning or 4 afternoon sessions so that children from the same family can attend together. This mixed age group is conducive to meeting individual family needs as well as providing a supportive environment for learning.

What's the difference between morning and afternoon at sessional kindergartens?
Typically, when your child first begins kindergarten he or she will start at an afternoon session and will attend for 3 afternoons a week.

When space becomes available, and your child is next on the list, he or she will become a 'morning kindy kid' and will attend morning sessions 5 times a week.

What should I do if I have any questions about enrolment?
Contact the kindergarten you would like your child to attend and the staff will be happy to answer your questions and help you with enrolling.