We’re delighted to share we’ll soon be feeding up to 10,000 more preschoolers in poverty, after being awarded Government funding to deliver its new Early Childhood Education (ECE) Food Programme.
KidsCan was selected because we already provide food to more than 6,000 preschoolers daily in 203 early childhood centres nationwide. We’ll continue to fund those centres thanks to our donors.
“We’re so thrilled to provide our food support to thousands more 2–5-year-olds, because we know how important it is to fuel our youngest children,” KidsCan’s CEO Julie Chapman says.
“Research shows the preschool years are a crucial period of brain development that set a child up for life. The right food plays a big part, and we’re happy that this funding will mean more children in poverty get the nutrition they desperately need.”
Associate Education Minister David Seymour said KidsCan have a proven record helping Kiwi kids affected by poverty.
“They are the only large-scale national not-for-profit and non-governmental provider of food to Early Childhood Education services. They already have the systems and relationships in place to get food to where it is needed, in a way that is cost effective,” Minister Seymour says.
Using the new ECE Equity Index, among other factors, the Ministry of Education is identifying early childhood centres who are eligible for support. KidsCan will be contacting them shortly to offer them the programme, and centres who accept will begin receiving support from February 2025.
Unlike KidsCan’s current partner early childhood centres, the new cohort will not be offered jackets, shoes, gumboots and health products, as the Government funding is for food only. But we hope that with continued support from donors and business partners, we’ll be able to offer this wrap-around support to more centres in future.
Unfortunately, not every ECE centre on KidsCan’s waiting list qualifies for support under the government’s criteria. Dozens of centres will still be waiting for KidsCan’s help – along with 98 schools.
“This is fantastic news for the early childhood centres who meet the criteria for this programme. The fact that we still have a waiting list highlights just how tough times are – we are facing record demand as more and more families just can’t make ends meet.
“The continued generosity of our amazing donors and business partners is crucial - we’re committed to ensuring that every child receives the support they deserve,” Chapman says.
KidsCan will be contacting eligible ECEs, and those who remain on the waitlist, in the coming weeks. Existing partner ECEs will continue to receive the full programme including jackets, shoes and gumboots.
