Case Studies By Service Area
Evaluation and Research
Study of the Early Effects of Free Early Childhood Education
The Scope
Senior Consultant Natalie Froese undertook work for the Ministry of Education in 2007 and 2008 to investigate the early effects of Free ECE on participating services’ practices, policies, costs and revenues. Free ECE is an education policy aimed at increasing participation in teacher-led services and eligible kōhanga reo by reducing the cost barrier to families. Under this policy, government funds up to 6 hours per day and up to 20 hours of Free ECE per week for three and four-year old children (and some five-year olds) who attend teacher-led early childhood services. Funding is provided for up to 20 hours per week to encourage intensive participation in quality ECE.
Our Involvement
MartinJenkins Senior Consultant, Natalie Froese, led the study with Nick Davis, a Director of MartinJenkins. We first conducted key informant interviews with Free ECE Sector Advisory Group members to gain insights into the particular issues for home-based care, sessional and all-day ECE services, kindergartens, and private services. We then used this information to design and implement an in-depth data gathering exercise across 60 services across New Zealand that offered Free ECE to their community. We visited each service between October and November 2007 and followed up with the same services in March 2008 via an email survey. The survey was used to follow up on key issues around costs, revenues, policies and child participation, as Free ECE bedded down and to see whether things had changed since our visit.
The Outcome
Our report was very well received by the Ministry of Education, as well as representatives from the ECE sector. Our report was able to provide solid evidence and concrete examples of how and why certain issues had emerged for services through the implementation process.
The study has informed fine-tuning of the operational policy of Free ECE, but has also provided insight and information that can be used to inform the design and implementation of other ECE initiatives or sector development. The report can be assessed on: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ece/30449/30476.
The MartinJenkins Difference
This project required excellent coordination and stakeholder engagement skills as well as sound research and analytical skills. Natalie and Nick worked closely with services to hear and understand their unique experience, and then draw together a comprehensive set of factors that affected the implementation of Free ECE across all services involved. In doing so, the study explained how and why services were having difficulty or success in implementing Free ECE, and what this implied for the Ministry.