Business Showcase
to Education Angels
Little Ones Is Evolving
her Early Childhood Education journey with
Playcentre 32 years ago, when her oldest
of three children was young. Since then,
she has been an Area Manager, a Regional
Manager and a Business Manager, all for Early
Childhood Education providers around New
Zealand and has owned two Early Childhood
Education centres and home-based education
care service.
Angie Stead and David Hitchins have recently
purchased Little Sparks in Blenheim and
are currently rebranding the in-home care
business to Education Angels, bringing it
under the company’s guiding light. Education
Angels provides fantastic in-home care for
our young children, but it goes well beyond
what we would normally expect of early
childhood education. Angie Stead explained
that as a nation we are beginning to move
away from the ‘is my child safe?’ model of
parenting. We are moving into a time of
‘is my child’s emotional wellbeing being
met?’. Both Angies explained this further:
If a child’s emotional needs are being met,
they are more likely to respect themselves,
each other and their environment. Being
safe, which has and will always be an
incredibly important part of children’s
wellbeing, is a branch of this self-awareness.
Education Angels is continuing this holistic
approach to early childhood care, with Angie
Stead outlining some of the differences
with Education Angels. They are currently
developing an online profiling tool for both
parents and educators. As a parent, you
answer a series of questions about what you
expect from your child’s carer and educator,
and about your ‘style’ of parenting. At the
end of the questionnaire you are given a
list of educators that are going to be the
closest match to your style, or if you want
someone with a style different to your own,
then they will give you a list of the opposite
profiles as well. It’s a bit like an online dating
site for parents and educators! And with
35 in-home carers in Marlborough working
with Education Angels, you are pretty much
guaranteed to find the right fit for you and
your wee ones.
Angie Tracey explained that it is going to
positively assist the relationship between
the parents and the educators. "Having
one primary caregiver is such a special
relationship." Having a child that is happy to
spend their time with a person other than
family, and seeing a carer or educator as an
extension of the same family, is wonderful.
The profiling tool will help everyone begin
and stay on the same page when it comes to
our children. Is the educator more structured
in their daily approach, or do they prefer free
play? Do they like going out for activities,
or do they prefer to stay at home with the
children? These are all details that we
will already know when we are picking an
educator.
Another exciting development is the online
learning that all educators are going to be
able to complete. But it gets better. Staying
in line with everyone and being on the same
wavelength, parents are also going to be
able to complete the same online learning.
This will help our children with continuity
of care and learning. How fantastic that
what happens at home can also happen
exactly the same way with their carer.
All because everyone is ‘singing from the
same song sheet’. And if there is one thing
that my online profiling tool would say, it is
that I like continuity.
If you would like to stay up-to-date with
Education Angels developments, or would
like to talk to them about your current in-
home care situation, then pop into the new
office on Maxwell Road and have a chat to
one of the in-home educators, the visting
teacher, or some of the parents that are
utilising the ‘angels' hub’ and its resources.
If you are really lucky you might even get
a chance to talk to the Guardian Angels
themselves, the Angies.
p. 027 467 3633 | e. [email protected] | educationangels.co.nz
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