The national organisation is an Incorporated Society and operates within the parameters of the Incorporated Societies Act. It is a not-for-profit organisation which has charitable status.
The national organisation has undergone structural changes over the last few years, and now has a new name - New Zealand Kindergartens Incorporated/Te Putahi Kura Puhou o Aotearoa.
The word "Free" has been removed from our name.
The original intention of the word "Free" in our name was to convey that our Associations were free from discrimination on the grounds of race, creed, colour or ability to pay.
The actual effect of this word has been to imply that our service is free of charge, and while most Associations operate on a donation based system, and no family is disadvantaged by its inability to pay that donation, we want to be able to impress upon families that if they are able to pay the donation, it is an important contribution to the kindergarten.
While we remain the Free Kindergarten Movement, many Associations are not using the word "Free" in their daily language for the same reason.
Some Associations are considering the possibility of charging fees (minimum) to enable families who are eligible to do so, to claim the WINZ child care subsidy. Having the word "free" in the Association's name tends to confuse people.
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