The Village Preschool and Childcare is a family-owned early childhood centre at 171 Moffat Road, Bethlehem, Tauranga. It is independent and long established, and it takes children from birth to five years. Its learning is nature-based and play-based, with exploration, imagination and inquiry at the centre, and the centre's Māori name, He akoranga taiao e puāwai ai te whanaungatanga, means that relationships grow through learning in nature. Families are welcome to take part in the children's activities. The centre offers 30 Hours Free for children aged three and up, and it welcomes families from many cultures. Parents who have written about the centre say the teachers and staff are loving and supportive, that children settle quickly, and that the centre helps parents go back to full-time work with confidence. One family says a child started at four months and stayed for a long time. Others say the centre feels like a family.