Is indicated in the following aspiration statement for children:
“To grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging, and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society” (Te Whāriki, Early Childhood Curriculum, Ministry of Education, 1996, pg 9).

Educare teachers use the Principles of Te Whāriki to frame their practice:

• Empowerment, Whakamana
• Family and Community, Whānau Tangata
• Relationships, Nga Hononga
• Holistic Development, Kotahitanga

To cope with an ever-changing world in communications, technology, and work, children need to cope with change and be capable of acquiring new knowledge and skills. Te Whāriki provides an educational foundation that supports the full range of skills that children will need as life-long learners. Each Educare Early Learning Centre has developed its own programme to implement the curriculum. Their programme reflects the interests of its children, their whānau, its environment and the surrounding community. Planning for the programme begins from observations of the children’s interests, strengths, needs and behaviours. Planning helps the teachers to understand what young children are learning, how the learning happens, and the role they and other children play in such learning.

Our desired outcomes for Educare children are:

• Caring for themselves, others and the community – Participate as a member of a community
• Cooperate with others – Celebrate accomplishments
• Express many emotions – Love and be compassionate
• Persevere with difficult tasks in order to succeed – Be inquisitive, initiate, invent solutions
• Laugh, play, sing, dance, run, hit, catch, throw, kick and tumble
• Construct objects of beauty, paint, draw and sculpt.

Language/s, mathematics, science, technology, social services, the arts, and health and physical well-being are woven throughout the planning to meet our desired outcomes for children at Educare.