Update:

Friday, 8 March 2013 1:30 Peaceful Protest out side MP Electorate Offices:

https://hef.org.nz/2013/media-release-21-call-for-peaceful-protests-on-social-security-bill/

https://hef.org.nz/beneficiaries/mp-electorate-office-for-peaceful-protest/

Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill

Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds

The Most effective thing we can be doing over the NEXT TWO weeks is to contact the 11 Select Committee Members by letter/email/phone/visits and the Peaceful Protest outside each electorate office 8 March 2013 at 1:30pm. Remember this week Parliament is in recess – so your MP should be in his electorate office – making it easier to contact them.

There are three new MPs on the Select Committee. I am not sure if they heard our submissions or not. Please make sure that you include them in all your correspondence you have sent to the Select Committee.

Over the next two weeks please write letters and emails to these MPs

Please also phone and visit these MPS

Against the Bill

Jacinda Ardern, Jan Logie, Rajen Prasad and Twyford, Phil

jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz, Jan.logie@parliament.govt.nz, rajen.prasad@parliament.govt.nz, phil.twyford@parliament.govt.nz

For the Bill

Melissa Lee,  Asenati Lole-Taylor , Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga,  Alfred Ngaro, and Mike Sabin, Heatley, Phil, Woodhouse, Michael,

melissa.lee@parliament.govt.nz, Asenati.Lole-Taylor@parliament.govt.nz, peseta.sam.lotu-iiga@parliament.govt.nz,  Alfred.ngaro@parliament.govt.nz, mike.sabin@parliament.govt.nz, phil.heatley@national.org.nz,  m.woodhouse@ministers.govt.nz

New on the Social Services Select Committee

Phil Heatley (National) – 20 Deveron Street, Whangarei

Email:phil.heatley@national.org.nz
Phone: (04)817 6816 (Parliament)
Phone: (09)4389992 (Electorate)

Phil Twyford (Labour) – 300 Great North Road, Henderson, Auckland

Email: phil.twyford@parliament.govt.nz

Phone: 04 817 9118 (Parliament)

Phone: (09) 835 0915 (Electorate)

Michael Woodhouse (National) –333 PrincesStreet, Dunedin

Email: m.woodhouse@ministers.govt.nz

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links:

• Media Release 20 – Accidents, Escapes Plague Early Childhood Centres
• Media Release 19 – Social Security Bill Work Focus Will Make Life Harder for Mums
• Media Release 18 – How Home-Based Child Care Saves the Government Money
• Media Release 17 –Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Parental Rights Advocate
• URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill
• Media Release 16 – Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bill
• Media Release 15 – Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission On ‘Discriminatory’ Social Security Bill
• Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission
• Home Educators on Benefits
• John Key: Let us target and focus more on those who are in need
• New Zealand, Sweden and the Johanssons
• Contacting the Select Committee
• International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012
• Media Release 14 – Social Security Bill Is Unjustifiably Discriminatory, Says NZ Law Society
• Media Release 13 – Australian Benefit Reforms Bow to Parents’ Rights
• A few more tips when giving an oral submission
• More experiences before the Select Committee
• Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?
• Home Educators happy with benefit revamp in Australia
• Kate’s oral submission and some questions
• Submissions published for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Presenting Oral Submission to Social Services Select Committee
• About Early Child Care in Sweden
• ECE linked to obesity in kids: study
• BERLIN DECLARATION
• Media Release 12 – Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits
• New Zealand Law Society Submission
• Australians have common sense where it seems our NZ Government does not
• ECE (Preschool) is no good for 4, 5 and possibly 6 year olds expert says
• Presenting an oral submission to the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Social Services Select Committee members
• Barbara Smith’s submission
• Media Release 11 – Parents Are Responsible for Education, Says HEF National Director
• Media Release 10 – Preschool Associated With Social and Academic Disadvantage
• A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators by Craig Smith
• Samuel Blight’s submission
• Home Education Foundation’s submission
• Media Release 9 – Social Security Bill Should Treat Home Education as a Legitimate Choice
• Media Release 8 – Social Security Bill Will Cause Real Hardship to Real People
• Family Integrity’s submission
• Media Release 7 – Paula Bennett’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Leaves Parents With No Options
• 2nd letter from Paula Bennett to Barbara Smith
• Why should I put a submission into the Select Committee about the beneficiaries?
• Media Release 6 – Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ‘Can’t Be Bought’
• Beneficiaries: Policy and Law
• 66 Submissions
• Submission: Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
• Media Release 5 – Beneficiary Parents “Not Able to Home School” Under Social Security Bill
• Media Release 4 – Social Security Bill Targets Responsible Parents for Toughest Penalties
• Letter from Paula Bennett to Samuel Blight
• Opinion Piece in Truth
• Possible timeline for Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education to Barbara Smith
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

February 26, 2013

Palmerston North, NZ – As the government Select Committee draws up its report on the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill, the Home Education Foundation (HEF) of New Zealand is calling on members of the committee and the public to consider the dangers of early childhood education (ECE).

“The Social Security Bill makes ECE compulsory for the children of beneficiaries,” says Mrs Smith. “But not only is ECE attendance linked with worrying social and even academic disadvantage, it may actually pose a threat to your child’s safety.”

The New Zealand Herald recently reported the story of Jaden Young, a toddler who fell and fractured his skull on his first day at childcare. The incident went unreported by the boy’s carer and it was not until 24 hours later that his parents noticed the swelling on his head and sought medical help. Now, Jaden’s parents are waiting to see if the blow will cause permanent harm to their “miracle baby”.

Jaden’s father Curtis told the Herald, “We watched Jaden every moment, of every day for his first year, making sure he was safe at all times. Yet the first day we left him under someone else’s supervision, he was gravely injured.”

The Young family will face financial difficulty keeping Jaden at home, but are understandably reluctant to let him out of their sight. “Ironically, if this family falls in need of government assistance, under the new Bill the Ministry for Social Development’s response will be to pack Jaden off to another daycare,” says Mrs Smith. “And this is what Paula Bennett calls ‘putting the right kind of care around families.’”

According to the ACC, the number of children below the age of 4 years injured in accidents at ECE centres has been climbing every year, from 1035 accident claims in 2010 to 1328 in 2012. Even more worrying, the Herald quoted one ECE teacher as saying that injuries were “chronically under-reported.”

But it’s not just accidents that plague ECE centres. Stuff.co.nz recently reported “Boy, 4, latest child left to roam.” Mrs Smith says, “From a 9-month-old baby left crying alone in a Porirua ECE after closing hours, to the 4-year-old special needs child who escaped from Mungavin Kindergarten and was found wandering the streets by a fireman, there are a worrying number of cases where children are neglected or simply lost by their carers.”

Mrs Smith says that this need not reflect badly on individual carers, but highlights the inherent flaws of the system.

“With so many little children to look after, it’s no wonder if some are neglected even by the most trustworthy carers,” she said. “But no carer in the world can be as loving and perceptive as a mother.

“Only a mother can give the love, care, and attention that every child needs. At best, even the most trustworthy carer is a hired stranger.”

At worst, says Mrs Smith, carers themselves might pose a danger to children. “The HEF heard from one mother who was sexually abused in state care as a child,” she said. “In her submission, this woman shared that facing the alternatives presented by the Bill—leaving her children to the care of strangers, or facing ‘benefit sanctions’—made her physically ill.”

Concerned New Zealanders should write, call, and visit their local MPs and the Select Committee, Mrs Smith urges.

Tell your friends. Make appointments to see the Committee members or your local MP.

“All parents have the right to choose a safe, loving environment for their children. Let’s not lose that right.”

The Select Committee members are Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges, Melissa Lee, Jan Logie, Asenati Lole-Taylor, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, Rajen Prasad, Mike Sabin and Su’a William Sio. Letters to individual MPs should be sent to this address (no stamp necessary):

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

More information on the bill and contact details for MPs can be found at  https://hef.org.nz/2013/urgent-action-required-social-security-bill/

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 28 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Appeared here:

Scoop:  Accidents, Escapes Plague Early Childhood Centres

Voxy: Accidents, escapes ‘plague early childhood centres

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links to Social Security Bill:

• Media Release 19 – Social Security Bill Work Focus Will Make Life Harder for Mums
• Media Release 18 – How Home-Based Child Care Saves the Government Money
• Media Release 17 –Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Parental Rights Advocate
• URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill
• Media Release 16 – Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bill
• Media Release 15 – Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission On ‘Discriminatory’ Social Security Bill
• Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission
• Home Educators on Benefits
• John Key: Let us target and focus more on those who are in need.
• New Zealand, Sweden and the Johanssons
• Contacting the Select Committee
• International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012
• Media Release 14 – Social Security Bill Is Unjustifiably Discriminatory, Says NZ Law Society
• Media Release 13 – Australian Benefit Reforms Bow to Parents’ Rights
• A few more tips when giving an oral submission
• More experiences before the Select Committee
• Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?
• Home Educators happy with benefit revamp in Australia
• Kate’s oral submission and some questions
• Submissions published for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Presenting Oral Submission to Social Services Select Committee
• About Early Child Care in Sweden
• ECE linked to obesity in kids: study
• BERLIN DECLARATION
• Media Release 12 – Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits
• New Zealand Law Society Submission
• Australians have common sense where it seems our NZ Government does not
• ECE (Preschool) is no good for 4, 5 and possibly 6 year olds expert says
• Presenting an oral submission to the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Social Services Select Committee members
• Barbara Smith’s submission
• Media Release 11 – Parents Are Responsible for Education, Says HEF National Director
• Media Release 10 – Preschool Associated With Social and Academic Disadvantage
• A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators by Craig Smith
• Samuel Blight’s submission
• Home Education Foundation’s submission
• Media Release 9 – Social Security Bill Should Treat Home Education as a Legitimate Choice
• Media Release 8 – Social Security Bill Will Cause Real Hardship to Real People
• Family Integrity’s submission
• Media Release 7 – Paula Bennett’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Leaves Parents With No Options
• 2nd letter from Paula Bennett to Barbara Smith
• Why should I put a submission into the Select Committee about the beneficiaries?
• Media Release 6 – Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ‘Can’t Be Bought’
• Beneficiaries: Policy and Law
• 66 Submissions
• Submission: Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
• Media Release 5 – Beneficiary Parents “Not Able to Home School” Under Social Security Bill
• Media Release 4 – Social Security Bill Targets Responsible Parents for Toughest Penalties
• Letter from Paula Bennett to Samuel Blight
• Opinion Piece in Truth
• Possible timeline for Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education to Barbara Smith
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

February 20, 2013

Palmerston North, NZ – While the “social obligations” in the government’s Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill promise to disadvantage children, a number of groups have highlighted the additional disadvantages women will face under the benefit reforms, says Barbara Smith of the Home Education Foundation (HEF).

Under the work focus provisions of the Bill, mothers will need to work 15 hours per week once their youngest turns 5 and 30 hours per week once their youngest turns 14.

“Minister for Social Development Paula Bennett believes mothers should work because being jobless is demoralizing,” says Mrs Smith. “But mothers with children to care for are not jobless.”

In a press release dated 12^th September 2012, Ms Bennett cited statistics showing that sole parents receive 23% of the costs of welfare. She said, “We can do much better than this, by providing more support to sole parents and others who’ve historically received very little help to get off welfare.”

“This makes it clear that her plan to cut welfare spending relies on getting single mothers away from their children and into the workforce,” says Mrs Smith. “While many women are happy to work to support their families, it’s disgraceful that women with very young children and women who choose the full-time job of educating their children at home right through secondary school will be forced into the workplace under this bill.

“I have heard from hundreds of women who are concerned that their way of life will be threatened by this bill.”

It’s no surprise, says Mrs Smith, that many women’s groups have expressed their concern with the Bill’s relentless work focus provisions for sole mothers.

According to the Beneficiary Advisory Service, the work focus provisions of the Bill “will impact heavily on young women who are caring for an infant” and the resulting stress and anxiety will pose a risk to both mother and child.

The Auckland Women’s Centre “considers that it is a crucial component of the well-being of our society that extra restrictions and difficulties are not enshrined in legislation that will result in limiting a sole-mother’s ability to provide dedicated, quality parenting to their children.” Domestic work, they argue, forms “a normal part of many women’s lives rather than a deviation from male patterns of employment.”

The Psychological Society of New Zealand also found the work focus troubling. “There are many of those who live in Aotearoa/NZ who contribute in alternative ways e.g. a young Maori woman called to care for her sick kuia, voluntary activities for children within a church or a person with a disability acting as an advocate.”

Te Whaainga Wahine, a national network advocating the rights of Maori women, argued that the amendments will compromise the rights of Maori women to care for, protect, and make decisions in the best interests of their tamariki, mokopuna and whanau.

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom also believed that the work focus provisions would disadvantage women. “It will create extra stress for people who should be work exempt because they are caring for children. The care of children is not given due importance and this amendment appears to be a punitive measure for those who dare to have another child when they are on a benefit.”

“It’s reasonable to say that the Bill will cause serious disadvantage to women,” says Mrs Smith.

Concerned New Zealanders should write, call, and visit their local MPs and the Select Committee, Mrs Smith urges.

Tell your friends. Make appointments to see the Committee members or your local MP.

“Caring for children and whanau is a real job with real value to society. All women, including beneficiaries, should be able to do the work they are called to.”

The Select Committee members are Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges, Melissa Lee, Jan Logie, Asenati Lole-Taylor, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, Rajen Prasad, Mike Sabin and Su’a William Sio. Letters to individual MPs should be sent to this address (no stamp necessary):

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

More information on the bill and contact details for MPs can be found at  https://hef.org.nz/2013/urgent-action-required-social-security-bill/

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 28 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Appeared here:

Scoop:  Social Security Bill Work Focus Will Make Life Hard for Mums

Voxy:  Bill’s work focus ‘will make life harder for mums’

Community Scoop:  Social Security Bill Work Focus Will Make Life Hard for Mums

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links to Social Security Bill:

• Media Release 18 – How Home-Based Child Care Saves the Government Money
• Media Release 17 –Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Parental Rights Advocate
• URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill
• Media Release 16 – Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bill
• Media Release 15 – Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission On ‘Discriminatory’ Social Security Bill
• Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission
• Home Educators on Benefits
• John Key: Let us target and focus more on those who are in need.
• New Zealand, Sweden and the Johanssons
• Contacting the Select Committee
• International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012
• Media Release 14 – Social Security Bill Is Unjustifiably Discriminatory, Says NZ Law Society
• Media Release 13 – Australian Benefit Reforms Bow to Parents’ Rights
• A few more tips when giving an oral submission
• More experiences before the Select Committee
• Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?
• Home Educators happy with benefit revamp in Australia
• Kate’s oral submission and some questions
• Submissions published for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Presenting Oral Submission to Social Services Select Committee
• About Early Child Care in Sweden
• ECE linked to obesity in kids: study
• BERLIN DECLARATION
• Media Release 12 – Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits
• New Zealand Law Society Submission
• Australians have common sense where it seems our NZ Government does not
• ECE (Preschool) is no good for 4, 5 and possibly 6 year olds expert says
• Presenting an oral submission to the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Social Services Select Committee members
• Barbara Smith’s submission
• Media Release 11 – Parents Are Responsible for Education, Says HEF National Director
• Media Release 10 – Preschool Associated With Social and Academic Disadvantage
• A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators by Craig Smith
• Samuel Blight’s submission
• Home Education Foundation’s submission
• Media Release 9 – Social Security Bill Should Treat Home Education as a Legitimate Choice
• Media Release 8 – Social Security Bill Will Cause Real Hardship to Real People
• Family Integrity’s submission
• Media Release 7 – Paula Bennett’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Leaves Parents With No Options
• 2nd letter from Paula Bennett to Barbara Smith
• Why should I put a submission into the Select Committee about the beneficiaries?
• Media Release 6 – Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ‘Can’t Be Bought’
• Beneficiaries: Policy and Law
• 66 Submissions
• Submission: Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
• Media Release 5 – Beneficiary Parents “Not Able to Home School” Under Social Security Bill
• Media Release 4 – Social Security Bill Targets Responsible Parents for Toughest Penalties
• Letter from Paula Bennett to Samuel Blight
• Opinion Piece in Truth
• Possible timeline for Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education to Barbara Smith
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

Press Release 18 – saves the Govt

February 12, 2013
Palmerston North, NZ – The ‘Social Obligations’ in the government’s Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill will force beneficiaries to send their preschool children to an approved early childhood education (ECE) provider for at least 15 hours per week. One of the reasons for this is obviously in order to remove obstacles to the parents finding jobs and getting off the benefit sooner. But Barbara Smith, of the Home Education Foundation (HEF) of New Zealand, says that the cost of subsidised ECE can outweigh the cost of the benefit.

“The average cost of a year’s ECE for one child attending 15 hours per week is approximately NZ$5,112.90 per year,” says Mrs Smith. “This is how much a solo parent on the benefit will save the government per year per preschool child if she cares for her children at home.”

But, says Mrs Smith, the quality of care available at home, with its constant mental stimulation, interaction with adults, and parent mentoring, is something which New Zealand ECE in its current state is unable to provide.

“In the US, a cost analysis carried out by Arthur J Rolnick and Rob Grunewald of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis looked at the cost of raising the quality of ECE services. They concluded that the total resources needed for a high-quality ECE program for an at-risk 3 or 4 year old would be about US$10,000 – 15,000 per student per year for a full-day programme that included parent mentoring.

“A mother caring for her children at home, especially if she provides learning materials, as many do, is giving her child a high quality, full-day programme that includes parent mentoring—and the government doesn’t have to spend a cent.”

Mrs Smith says that this is exactly what home educating mothers—whether they plan for their children to attend school once they reach school age or not—do when they decide to provide home-based child care for their children.

“A mother providing home-based child care for her preschoolers is offering a better product than available at the registered ECE providers,” says Mrs Smith, citing research available on the HEF website. “And she’s providing it for free.”

But as Mrs Smith points out, many of these mothers go on to educate their children at home through their school years. That’s when the savings really begin to mount.

“According to Ministry of Education statistics, New Zealand spends about $6,790.51 per primary school student per year and $8,501.67 per secondary school student per year. This is how much money home educating sole parents save the government annually. A single mother home educating three children could be saving the government around $22,000 per year, which is more than her benefit.

“If she has special needs children, she could save the government even more: special schools spend up to $160,000 per year on each student.”

The government should recognise the cost benefits of home-based child care, both socially and financially, says Mrs Smith. “If the Social Security Bill passes, it will be illegal to make this responsible choice to care for your children at home. It doesn’t make sense.”

Concerned New Zealanders should write, call, and visit their local MPs and the Select Committee, Mrs Smith urges.

Tell your friends. Make appointments to see the Committee members or your local MP.

The Select Committee members are Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges, Melissa Lee, Jan Logie, Asenati Lole-Taylor, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, Rajen Prasad, Mike Sabin and Su’a William Sio. Letters to individual MPs should be sent to this address (no stamp necessary):

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

More information on the bill and contact details for MPs can be found at  https://hef.org.nz/2013/urgent-action-required-social-security-bill/
“Sole mothers can save the government money by educating their children at home. It’s time that was recognised.”

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 27 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Appeared here:

Scoop:  How Home-Based Child Care Saves the Government Money

Voxy:  Home-based child care saves the Govt money – HEF

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links to Social Security Bill:

• Media Release 17 –Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Parental Rights Advocate
• URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill
• Media Release 16 – Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bill
• Media Release 15 – Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission On ‘Discriminatory’ Social Security Bill
• Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission
• Home Educators on Benefits
• John Key: Let us target and focus more on those who are in need.
• New Zealand, Sweden and the Johanssons
• Contacting the Select Committee
• International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012
• Media Release 14 – Social Security Bill Is Unjustifiably Discriminatory, Says NZ Law Society
• Media Release 13 – Australian Benefit Reforms Bow to Parents’ Rights
• A few more tips when giving an oral submission
• More experiences before the Select Committee
• Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?
• Home Educators happy with benefit revamp in Australia
• Kate’s oral submission and some questions
• Submissions published for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Presenting Oral Submission to Social Services Select Committee
• About Early Child Care in Sweden
• ECE linked to obesity in kids: study
• BERLIN DECLARATION
• Media Release 12 – Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits
• New Zealand Law Society Submission
• Australians have common sense where it seems our NZ Government does not
• ECE (Preschool) is no good for 4, 5 and possibly 6 year olds expert says
• Presenting an oral submission to the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Social Services Select Committee members
• Barbara Smith’s submission
• Media Release 11 – Parents Are Responsible for Education, Says HEF National Director
• Media Release 10 – Preschool Associated With Social and Academic Disadvantage
• A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators by Craig Smith
• Samuel Blight’s submission
• Home Education Foundation’s submission
• Media Release 9 – Social Security Bill Should Treat Home Education as a Legitimate Choice
• Media Release 8 – Social Security Bill Will Cause Real Hardship to Real People
• Family Integrity’s submission
• Media Release 7 – Paula Bennett’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Leaves Parents With No Options
• 2nd letter from Paula Bennett to Barbara Smith
• Why should I put a submission into the Select Committee about the beneficiaries?
• Media Release 6 – Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ‘Can’t Be Bought’
• Beneficiaries: Policy and Law
• 66 Submissions
• Submission: Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
• Media Release 5 – Beneficiary Parents “Not Able to Home School” Under Social Security Bill
• Media Release 4 – Social Security Bill Targets Responsible Parents for Toughest Penalties
• Letter from Paula Bennett to Samuel Blight
• Opinion Piece in Truth
• Possible timeline for Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education to Barbara Smith
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?

Press Release 17 – Sweden

Media Release 17 –Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Parental Rights Advocate

February 5, 2013

Palmerston North, NZ – As the government Select Committee draws up its report on the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill, the Home Education Foundation (HEF) of New Zealand hopes that the Committee members will look to Sweden—as an example of how not to care for children.

“In Sweden, it’s illegal to home educate children,” says Barbara Smith, National Director of the HEF. “The authorities will tear home educating families apart with little provocation. In the most infamous case, nine-year-old Domenic Johansson was forcibly removed from his parents by Swedish authorities four years ago. The Johanssons have not even been able to see their son for a couple of years.”

Mrs Smith believes that the Social Security Bill, which makes preschool compulsory for the children of beneficiaries, is a step towards Swedish-style family tragedy.

“Is this what New Zealand is headed for?” she asks.

“With all the emphasis on poverty and vulnerable children, together with the assumption that preschool is the only responsible choice for early child care, it would seem so.”

According to Jonas Himmelstrand, a Swedish parental rights advocate, the Swedish government has not yet made preschool compulsory. However, “the propaganda about the blessings of day care, even for one-year-olds, is very intense. Not having your child in day care after parental leave is considered strange and even weird by a large part of the general public.”

Mrs Smith says, “Paula Bennet, the Minister for Social Development, has also been telling us that preschool is a widely-accepted social norm and her Bill merely puts ‘the right kind of care’ around beneficiaries and their families.

“Why is she ignoring the hundreds of families, some of which are beneficiaries and all of which are just an injury or job loss away from being beneficiaries, who have made informed decisions to provide better or different child care than that available at their local preschool?

“And why is she ignoring the evidence against preschool?”

Jonas Himmelstrand says, “The Swedish Government claims that research shows that children in day care develop and learn much better than home cared children. But the Swedish statistics tell another story. Psychosomatic symptons such as regular headaches, tummy aches, worries and anxiety tripled for girls and doubled for boys during the years 1985-2005.” Government investigations, says Mr Himmelstrand, also show that in comparison to similar European countries, Sweden has the “worst development in psychological health among our youth”. School results also plummeted since the inception of subsidized day care in 1985, and are now in some subjects below the OECD average.

“The quality of parenthood has deteriorated, and adult sick leave is high, especially for women,” says Mr Himmelstrand. He believes that the early separation of children and parents for too long is “the most realistic cause”. “As Sweden is materially rich with a wealth of public social insurances and good wealth distribution and low child poverty this is hardly the cause.”

Concerned New Zealanders should write, call, and visit their local MPs and the Select Committee, Mrs Smith urges.

Tell your friends. Make appointments to see the Committee members or your local MP.

“We still have the freedom to make decisions for our children’s developmental and psychological health,” she says. “Let’s not lose that.”

The Select Committee members are Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges, Melissa Lee, Jan Logie, Asenati Lole-Taylor, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, Rajen Prasad, Mike Sabin and Su’a William Sio. Letters to individual MPs should be sent to this address (no stamp necessary):

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

More information on the bill and contact details for MPs can be found at  https://hef.org.nz/2013/urgent-action-required-social-security-bill/

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 28 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Appeared here:

Scoop:  Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Advocate

Voxy:  Preschool ‘bad for children’

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Related Links to Social Security Bill:

• URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill
• Media Release 16 – Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bill
• Media Release 15 – Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission On ‘Discriminatory’ Social Security Bill
• Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission
• Home Educators on Benefits
• John Key: Let us target and focus more on those who are in need.
• New Zealand, Sweden and the Johanssons
• Contacting the Select Committee
• International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012
• Media Release 14 – Social Security Bill Is Unjustifiably Discriminatory, Says NZ Law Society
• Media Release 13 – Australian Benefit Reforms Bow to Parents’ Rights
• A few more tips when giving an oral submission
• More experiences before the Select Committee
• Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?
• Home Educators happy with benefit revamp in Australia
• Kate’s oral submission and some questions
• Submissions published for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Presenting Oral Submission to Social Services Select Committee
• About Early Child Care in Sweden
• ECE linked to obesity in kids: study
• BERLIN DECLARATION
• Media Release 12 – Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits
• New Zealand Law Society Submission
• Australians have common sense where it seems our NZ Government does not
• ECE (Preschool) is no good for 4, 5 and possibly 6 year olds expert says
• Presenting an oral submission to the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Social Services Select Committee members
• Barbara Smith’s submission
• Media Release 11 – Parents Are Responsible for Education, Says HEF National Director
• Media Release 10 – Preschool Associated With Social and Academic Disadvantage
• A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators by Craig Smith
• Samuel Blight’s submission
• Home Education Foundation’s submission
• Media Release 9 – Social Security Bill Should Treat Home Education as a Legitimate Choice
• Media Release 8 – Social Security Bill Will Cause Real Hardship to Real People
• Family Integrity’s submission
• Media Release 7 – Paula Bennett’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Leaves Parents With No Options
• 2nd letter from Paula Bennett to Barbara Smith
• Why should I put a submission into the Select Committee about the beneficiaries?
• Media Release 6 – Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ‘Can’t Be Bought’
• Beneficiaries: Policy and Law
• 66 Submissions
• Submission: Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
• Media Release 5 – Beneficiary Parents “Not Able to Home School” Under Social Security Bill
• Media Release 4 – Social Security Bill Targets Responsible Parents for Toughest Penalties
• Letter from Paula Bennett to Samuel Blight
• Opinion Piece in Truth
• Possible timeline for Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
• Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
• Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
• Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
• Some of the main links
• Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
• Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
• Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
• Should preschool be compulsory?
• TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
• Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
• HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
• Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education to Barbara Smith
• Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
• Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
• New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
• How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?