Recession hits school holiday programmes

Some school holiday programmes are struggling to attract the numbers they need as cash-strapped parents look for alternative forms of free childcare.

Managers are reporting that the number of parents claiming Out of School Care and Recreation subsidies from Work and Income New Zealand has increased and others are relying on family and friends to look after their children.

John Kennedy, who manages Out of School Care for Auckland, said traditionally fewer people took up holiday care than after-school or before-school care but noted that parents had been looking for other options this year.

The region has 150 holiday care providers, each taking between 20 and 100 children.

Of those 80 per cent are approved for out-of-school subsidies.

Clients can apply to receive a subsidy for up to 50 hours a week during the school holidays if they are working, studying, seriously ill, disabled, paid the Child Disability Allowance for any of their children; or caring for a child who is in hospital.

Parents who earn less than $1274 a week and have one child can receive $3.63 per hour of holiday care.

If they earn $1486 a week they are eligible for $1.40 an hour.

The Ministry of Social Development said the number of children receiving a subsidies for before-school, after-school and holiday care had increased for each month of 2009. But it said that could be attributed to an increase in the number of programmes from about 1550 in 2008 to 1900 this year.

It claimed there was no evidence that the recession had had any effect on these figures.

Mr Kennedy said fees for out-of-school care were always gradually going up, but the increases were usually to cover costs of rentals, facilities and transporting children.

Most charged between $30 and $40 a day, but this could be up to $50 a day for more exclusive activities.

In 2004, most programmes had charged $70 per week.

The manager of the subsidy scheme at Meadowbank Community Centre, Marie Wakelin, said the centre had noticed lower attendance since the end of last year.

Parents were being more frugal and were alternating looking after a group of friends' children and relying more on grandparents, she said.

Georgie Witehira, group manager of centres in Papatoetoe, Manurewa and Mangere said the number of children attending holiday programmes was down between 50 and 70 per cent.

But Jarvie Tunnicliffe, who runs the holiday programme at Parnell District School, said numbers had been increasing since he started a year ago.

He thought this was because of the different programmes offered such as robotics and business programmes the proximity to the city and the programme's extensive marketing through a wide cross-section of schools.

KIDS' FUN
Flipper ball at the local pool, visiting the Hunua dam and waterfall, roller skating, disco, talent competition, mini golf, ten pin bowling, visiting Kiwi Valley farm, movies and pizza at the centre, trip to the movies, Maritime Museum, Business for Kids, robotics, visit the Stardome and spend the day at Rainbows End.