Nursery shapes younger minds
New Plymouth mum-preneurs Tania Shaw and Toni Widdowson took a giant leap of faith a few years back. They backed themselves to open up their own preschool.
This was a step motivated by a passion for early childcare and frustration at working under someone else’s thumb while juggling commitments on their home fronts.
Three years on, their preschool Kidszone for two - six- year-olds was past infancy stage and flourishing — so were the kids.
Now, they are helping to shape babies’ futures too and have opened a purpose-built nursery for 0 - 2-year-olds right next door.
The nursery was a natural progression for their successful Kidszone blueprint that had 100 per cent qualified staff, a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment that encouraged learning.
It includes two sleep rooms, separate dining and art areas, a change room, and a shaded outdoors turfed area with a sandpit.
‘‘We also have a baby safe area where little babies can learn to roll and lie down without getting trampled on by bigger toddlers,’’ Shaw said.
The duo had experienced childcare from both sides of the coin and they prided themselves on putting the child first and looking after their staff. Both appreciate that as a working parent things change so they offer families flexibility.
A sign they walk the talk; they have had zero turnover of fulltime staff since the pre-school first opened three years ago.
‘‘We understand what it is like to be a parent leaving your child to be cared for by someone else. We’ve done that, we’ve been early childcare teachers too,’’ Shaw said.
It was during a phone conversation between the two good friends that the idea of combining their years of early childcare experience to grow their own business was thrown about.
‘‘Literally from the day we decided to do something and tossed it over, we worked out a way to do it, and we opened our doors a year later. Because it’s my passion, it’s been my life, and to be able to offer what children need it’s amazing to be in a position do that.’’
Kidszone has a March promotion running for the nursery opening, if a baby starts before the end of March they get the first four weeks free. use of the arts as a tool supporting the rehabilitative process of prisoners and their reintegration back into society on release.
‘‘Making nominations is a great way people can get involved in celebrating New Zealand’s leaders of access to the arts – often the unsung heroes of society who make a real difference,’’ Benge said.
Without a nomination they cannot be considered.
For more information and nomination forms contact Claire Noble T: 04 802 4349. For the two Arts Access Corrections Awards, contact Jacqui Moyes, T: 04 802 4349.