Abolish zoning and allow parents to take their child's share of state funding to a school of their choice - public or private

Continue to implement the recommendations of the Early Childhood Services Strategic Plan Working Group, in consultation with the sector
Facilitate mutual assistance and a community atmosphere by encouraging the physical placement of schools and early childhood services in close proximity to each other or on the same site
Encourage parent, whanau, and community participation in order to enhance the relationship between early childhood services and schools, and their communities
Encourage early childhood services to participate in environmental awareness projects with communities and regional and local councils
Implement early childhood services ratios of teachers to children of: 1:3 for under twos with a group size of no more than 6 children; 1:5 for two to threes with a group size of no more than 12 children; and 1:8 for over threes with a group size of no more than 24 children

From 1 July 2007, there will be 20 hours free education per week for 3 and 4 year-olds in teacher-led community-based centres
Continue to develop capacity in Pasifika communities to deliver early childhood education in Pasifika languages to foster participation of Pasifika peoples
Ten centres of Innovation receive support to undertake research and develop innovative practice in early childhood education
By 2012, all regulated staff in teacher-led services must be registered

Introduce a new tax deduction for pre-school childcare costs to ease the financial pressures on parents, particularly on second-income earners and employed sole parents
One-third of childcare costs will be able to be claimed, resulting in a tax refund of a maximum of $1,650 per child
We do not think the government should dictate what sort of childcare is best for families. We will support families by providing them with real choices about how they balance and manage their own lives

Initiate Family Start Programmes across the country aimed at those children at greatest risk of less than optimal development
Make available HIPPY programmes to all families with low levels of educational capital
Develop Parents as First Teacher programmes across the country
Increase the discretionary grants available to communities for building or upgrading early childhood facilities in order to increase participation rates
Explore the possibilities of enabling early childhood centres to be funded more than six hours per day and for weekend sessions

Support lifting the qualifications of early childhood teachers, but relax the government's target for all staff to be degree-qualified by 2012 for centres that provide all-day care as well as education
Ensure that government funding of early childhood centres is reflected in the fees passed on to parents by requiring them to disclose what proportion of fees is taxpayer-funded
Give playcentres and other parent-run early childhood education providers more recognition and resources for the work that they do
Prioritise staff-to-child ratios for each age group taught early childhood education centres as a condition of funding
Support flexible training options for those early childhood workers who want to upgrade their qualifications while they continue to work