[steveybj]

Myself and my wife will be working at the end of the year in the CDB Auckland, trying to fathom the preschool maze has been a headache as we will both need to work full time, I am shift work which means I can look after the little one when able but there will be days when she will be all day(maybe twice a week) we have worked out it will be easier to take the little one into the CDB... The only real company I have found is Kindercare, its a national company and wondering if anyone has had dealings with them?? They accept the ECE 20 hours (which I am still confused about) and are open all year around (which we need) Hope any can help.... Were looking to live on the North Shore when we arrive...
Steve

[Tia Maria]

If Bruckner doesn't see this, send her a PM, she has her children in childcare in the city.

Kindercare is a well known chain and its reputation is fine, but really it will depend on the quality of the staff at the particular one near you, at that particular time, as to whether you will be happy with them. It is a very personal thing and a visit is always essential.

Don't completely discount local places, there are ones with longer hours, they are just harder to find. For example, I would say out of about 6 or 7 childcare places in Devonport, only 1 has longer hours, the rest offer hours like 9-3pm.

Also you can consider in-home help, like Porse. For instance, I know someone, who has a nanny look after her son two days a week, he still goes to morning Kindy for a few hours, so he gets social contact and in that time the Nanny tidies around, does the ironing etc. She then looks after him 'in home' until his Mum gets back. Obviously they don't stay in doors all the time, they go to the park, bus rides, beach etc.

There are lots of people I know who have set ups like this, as the area I live in has a high expat community and many of us don't have family to call on.

I'll go and look for some threads to bump......

Cheers

Tia

[Mart1]

Any updates on this thread as we are in a similiar situation north shore area

[Bruckner]

Sorry but I didn't see this earlier. Our 3.5 year old twins are at the Kindercare on Customs Street and we are very happy with the place and the level of care there. We pay $349.20 per week for both children. I take the kids over on the ferry from Devonport and it's just a short walk from there. If you drive, you pull into the indoor garage, park on level 1 and you have 15 free minutes to do a drop off/pick up. They are open all year round and closed only on public holidays. You get 20 days where you pay a small fee for when you're on annual leave. They are open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm but on Fridays they close at 5:00 pm.

If any one has any questions please feel free to PM me.

Emily

[Flutterby]

do they have much of a waiting list?

[Bruckner]

I don't know but I can ask. How many children and what ages? We put our names on in August 2007 and got a spot in January 2008.

Emily

[M-Squared]

We put our names on in August 2007 and got a spot in January 2008.

Holy cow! :eek: That's one heck of a waiting list. Something I've never come across before (when I lived in the US).

Am very pleased that Kindercare here is reputable. My daugher, in a class of 5 children and 2 caregivers, was bitten badly twice in 10 days, and we removed her without notice. When she was bitten the second time, where the upper teeth of her assailant bit inside her eye socket, her bite marks around her lower right jaw were still visible. That was in the US, and, I hope, an extremely rare occurence. :( :(

Fingers crossed...

[Flutterby]

i think its safe to say that i should get us on a few waiting lists BEFORE we move, do you think they'd let us do that? otherwise i may not be able to work for a few months and that won't help our finances!

[Bruckner]

I'll check this afternoon when I go and pick up the kids.

Emily

[Bruckner]

Spoke to the office manager and she said you can put you're kids on the waiting list before you move here but at the moment they have no space in the pre-school until June 2009. They have space in the infant care area (starts at 3 months) but as the children in the centre get older and move up in the school, it leaves very little room in the pre-school.

If you need any information let me know. I'm happy to help.

Emily

[Flutterby]

thanks emily, we are aiming for August, but i will need to get a job ASAP once we arrive, so don't want to be waiting months to get her in.

[Oregonkiwi]

For anyone looking for childcare in Auckland CBD - I saw a newspaper ad today for 2 new Lollipops Educare centres opening downtown at 92 Albert Street and 8 Tangihua St. The ad said "enrolling now". It gave no contact info but I found their website: http://www.lollipopseducare.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=40