Waikato Business News January/February 2020

28 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2020
BARNARDOS
Creating strong
foundations for
children and families
in the community
Barnardos Early Learning supports
children, whānau and communities so that
all children can flourish and reach their
potential. Learning starts from the moment
children are born, and the first five years of
development creates a strong foundation
for the rest of their lives.
This February we are
excited to open our
doors to “Te Rapa”, our
second early learning centre
in the Hamilton community,
as well as our new Waikato
home-based educator network.
Te Rapa is a bright and
welcoming space with large
indoor and outdoor play areas,
and is purpose-designed to
stimulate and develop children’s
natural curiosities. Our
centre also has separate areas
for babies and toddlers, to
provide for their developmental
needs.
We know that having
high-quality, convenient early
learning options close to
schools makes a huge difference
to parents and whānau.
Te Rapa is a one-minute drive
from Forest Lake School,
Vardon School and St Peter
Chanel School – making
dropoff and pickups for siblings
relaxed and simple. Te
Rapa complements our existing
centre in Hamilton “Te
Totara”, which opened in
2010 in Rototuna, next door
to Te Totara Primary School.
At Barnardos Early Learning
we nurture the uniqueness
of every child, by providing
both centre and home-based
options. Some children thrive
in our early learning centres
and can’t wait to return for
another day of fun and exploration.
Other children feel
more comfortable in smaller
settings, in a place that’s like
their own home. We give
whānau this choice and have
a solution for all children,
including a blended option for