All intellectually disabled children are entitled to a quality early childhood education to help them do well at school and in life.
All three, four and five-year-olds can get up to 20 hours of early childhood education a week funded by the government.
Early childhood education services in New Zealand include:
As with all children, it’s important to begin planning early and, if you can, visit a variety of services so that you can find the one that best suits your child, family and whānau. Talking with other parents about their experiences can also help with planning.
Some things to look for and ask about are:
Early childhood education services can have waiting lists so it can be a good idea to begin looking around for a service before you need it.
New to intellectual disability
Starting school
Dealing with problems with your child's school
If you have any questions call our Community Connect phone line 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday on 0800 442 311
