Early childcare centres running at full capacity

Masterton parents trying to get children on to waiting lists at early childcare centres are using pre-emptive measures to ensure placements.
Some parents are pre-enrolling unborn babies and, in two cases, enrolling children before they are even conceived.
Masterton has seven early childcare centres, which cater to children from birth to 5 years old most are full and all have lengthy waiting lists.
The Government currently pays for 20 free hours of early childcare for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds but Nelson developer Chris Thornley, who recently announced he will build a purpose-built early childcare centre on Albert Street, doubts it would be possible for parents to place their children in the scheme in Masterton.
"In a centre like Masterton it's hard to understand how any parent could have taken advantage of that because there simply are no spaces available in the existing facilities some centres don't even have waiting lists," he said.
Paulette Hall, of Cole Street Early Learning, said the centre closed its waiting list at the beginning of the year and she doesn't foresee any spaces opening up until the end of the year.
Good Beginnings' Nicola Burling said her waiting list for 2 to 5-year-olds was closed for at least another six months.
"A high percentage of children would also be on multiple waiting lists," she said.
Juliet Schofield, of Makoura Community Early Childcare Centre, said the centre had 50 children, some unborn, on its waiting list.
"Because the waitlist is so long people come and enrol as soon as they get pregnant to try and ensure a spot," she said.
Two sets of parents enrolled at Good Beginnings before they had even started trying to conceive.
"There is definitely a need for another centre. It would definitely take up the waitlist," Toni Devenny, of Lansdowne Early Childcare, said.
In addition to the new Albert Street centre there are two more early childcare centres in the offing.
One centre, proposed for Harley Street, is appealing Masterton District Council's denial of its resource consent in the Environment Court.
Another centre at Te Ore Ore Road has been given the green light by the council.
Ms Devenny said she is sceptical about the need for more than one new early childcare centre in Masterton.
"Whether or not there would be room for another centre on top of the one in Albert Street is another question," she said.
Wendy Hooper, from UCOL Early Childhood Centre, said she is worried about where the new and proposed centres are going to get qualified staff and expressed concerns that new centres may poach staff from existing ones.