Citizens Preschool and Nursery

Citizens Preschool and Nursery is an all-day community-based early childhood centre managed by the Dunedin Methodist Mission (now Methodist Connect) since 1930.  The centre serves in the South Dunedin community and provides education and care to young children aged birth to five years.

Innovation

Citizens Preschool and Nursery employed a family/whānau support worker to provide extra support, advice and assistance to its families from South Dunedin. The service focuses on different types of professionals working together to support families in order to enhance the well-being and learning of infants, toddlers and young children.

Centres of Innovation (COI) research

Research was based primarily in the nursery with the under two-year-olds and explored supportive links between the centre and families, and the impact of whānau support structures on young children's learning.

Major research question:

What difference does the support of a family whānau support worker for families make for child and family participation and learning in an early childhood centre?

COI tenure

Calendar years 2005/2006/2007 (Round two).

COI research associates

Michael Gaffney, Children’s Issues Centre
Judith Duncan, Children’s Issues Centre

Service location

319-325 Hillside Rd, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Visitors

Citizens Preschool and Nursery has completed its COI contract and is no longer resourced to accommodate many visitors.

Contact details

Bobbie Parata
Centre Supervisor
Citizens Preschool and Nursery
PO Box 2391
South Dunedin
Telephone: 03 4551445
Email: childcare@methodistconnect.org.nz
     
Dianne Darker
Child and Family Services Manager
Methodist Connect
PO Box 2391
South Dunedin
Telephone: 03 466 4600
Email: dianne@methodistconnect.org.nz