Whanganui and Wellington kindergarten associations merge

The Whanganui Kindergarten Association is to amalgamate. Photo / Bevan Conley

It's the end of an era for Whanganui Kindergarten Association (WKA) as it prepares to merge with Porirua.

The amalgamation with Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association (HWM) takes effect from July 1 after Whanganui board members, life members and parents of kindy children voted for it.

President Collette Redman said Whanganui was "excited about the possibilities amalgamation will bring". "We want a strong and enduring future for kindergartens in this region and being part of HWM will position us well to achieve that aim across our diverse and growing communities."

The Whanganui association operates 15 kindergartens and early childhood centres in Whanganui, Maxwell, Ohakune, Taihape and Waiouru. HWM operates 85 kindergartens across the Wellington region.

Late last year an email sent to Whanganui staffshows there were talks within New Zealand Kindergartens about replacing 25 associations with a single organisation. The proposal wasn't successful but Porirua and Whanganui continued talking about merging to create a "strong and enduring future for kindergarten across our regions".

The amalgamation comes after more then a year of He Whānau Manaaki supporting Whanganui's management team and teachers.

"Our work with HWM has demonstrated the beliefs that come with being part of a larger organisation and having access to stable infrastructure and a wide range of professional and operational expertise and resources," WKA general manager Trish Taylor Pope says.

"While the operational structure supporting each kindergarten and teaching team will change, what happens each day at kindy for children, their family and whānau will continue."

He Whānau Manaaki president Amy Weighton said she saw the move as a positive step forward.

"We want kindergartens to be well supported in each community, with highly professional teaching teams and kindergarten staff offering fantastic experiences for every child."

He Whānau Manaaki will be holding its annual general meeting in Whanganui this
year.

The kindergarten amalgamation follows an announcement YMCA Central, which runs services in Whanganui and Palmerston North, will be merging with the Greater Wellington YMCA in the coming months.