A Rotorua Christian-based preschool is in such demand it has opened another childcare centre.
Western Heights Preschool on Clayton Rd opened its doors six years ago and recently filled to capacity with 50 children attending.
Last week, it opened another preschool in the same building with 20 children already on the books.
The
preschool comes under the umbrella of Faith Christian Centre.
Director and pastor Paul Thompson said the preschool offered more than childcare. Staff worked with parents of children attending to help them cope with any difficulties they were experiencing.
The centre offered parenting courses and was in partnership with the Salvation Army to provide food parcels for needy or struggling families, he said.
"We wanted to help the children and the whanau as a whole and as a church, we felt we could offer a whole package. We have very close staff here with a strong focus on giving kids a head start. We feel to do that we need to be here to support the whole family."
Mr Thompson said preschools were in a unique position where they could work on addressing issues to help ensure a safe environment for children.
If abused children were in daycare, they might not have been killed at the hands of caregivers or parents, Mr Thompson said. "We don't want to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, we want to be the fence at the top that helps these families.
"A lot of families are under stress and aren't coping today for a lot of different reasons - we want to help them, not judge them. We want to build bridges to help them, not condemn them. Some people might point the finger but we want to be part of the solution. These things are not complicated. It can be a simple thing to help that makes all the difference and takes the pressure off."
However, while the focus is on family, it's also about ensuring a top-class education for children. "We aren't just a babysitting service. It is important to us to make learning fun so when they go to school they will go to the top of the class."
