Parents tasked with finding alternative childcare options as strike day looms

Saran Roberts, one-day holiday programme, programme facilitator. Photo/Warren Buckland

Saran Roberts, one-day holiday programme, programme facilitator. Photo/Warren Buckland.

With teachers taking strike action tomorrow, parents are having to find alternative childcare options.

Family First New Zealand said while they understand the concerns regarding teacher recruitment, retention and appropriate pay rates and workplace conditions, strikes like this can cause huge disruption for families, especially when parents are having to go to work.

"We'd also encourage families to work with each other to ensure that children are suitably supervised at their own or their friends' houses during the day on Wednesday."

A council spokesperson said that the Hastings Sports Centre would be running a one-day programme on Wednesday for primary school children who won't be attending school because of the teachers' strike.

The format would be the same as the regular programme run during the school holidays for 5 to 13-year-old children, for the usual fee, with the usual subsidies in place for eligible families.

Registrations were being taken online via the Hastings District Council website and registrations were already coming in.

Depending on numbers the plan was to take the children to the movies for the day, but if this was not suitable because of numbers, some other fun, safe activities would be held.

"We wanted to take the opportunity to offer this programme for families, recognising that not everyone will be able to have other arrangements in place for their children while schools are closed for the day," the spokesperson said.