[D&J]

Anyone with kids of school age! We are planning to move to Taurange
mid-January 2008 with our 2 boys aged 11 and 8. As we will be arriving
without our family support network (which I'm sure is the case for most
other migrants) I was just wondering what people with kids do during the
school holidays. Are there plenty of out-of-school care and activity
groups? Any information on NZ's approach to this would be great. No doubt
other migrants have similar needs.
:raebanana

[shakyle2906]

Hi

We have lives here just over a year and have found no problems in both after school care and holiday programmes.

Here in Hastings, there are a few options, YMCA seem to be most popular as well as OSCAR programmes.

Normally pay about $35 a day for school holiday programme, where they go on trips some days, do activities and you provide food.

Have a look on the websites, should help you further.

HTH in some way

Sharon
x

[Kerry and David]

When we were in NZ last week visiting schools, there were a number of After School care facilities linked in with the school so it may be worth contacting the schools in the area you are looking to settle.

[holland]

Hi,

A lot of schools do OSCAR ( out of school care and recreation-nz name) programmes...if the school your child goes to doesn't do it...you can often go to another school that does. I work in home care and my programme do OSCAR care too...an educarer will go to the school, pick the child up and take them back to their house....unfortunately my service doesnt stretch to the BOP....but there may be other home services that do it.

I suggest you contact the Ministry of Ed in that area and they will provide you with a full list of places that offer these services.

Just to give you an idea of OSCAR in homecare...my fee's are $4.00 per hour.

Hope this helps

Good Luck

J

[holland]

PS- I am setting up an OSCAR programme at a school at the moment...so just to reassure you parents out there...there are 'standards' that have to maintained at all times, every member of staff is to be police checked, one member of staff has to have first aid, no member of staff under 20 years old is to be left unsupervised with the children, a minimum of 2 adults must be present at all times. There must be signing/in out form to ensure that the children are accounted for. If run correctly, these programmes should be very safe and stimulating.