A not-for-profit community preschool at 48 Aro Street in Aro Valley, Wellington, run by a parent committee that helps with budgets, policies and fundraising. It serves families from Brooklyn, Mount Cook, Kelburn, Wellington Central, Karori and Te Aro as well as Aro Valley. The centre says all fees and government funding go back into teachers, lower ratios, maintenance and equipment.
The preschool is play-based, and children learn to solve problems, communicate, negotiate, share and build resilience through play. It supports children and families through starting preschool, settling in and enrolment, and it keeps parents updated on what children are doing.
Families describe a home away from home, with close friendships and kaiako who are caring and approachable. One family says their child, who spoke only Indonesian when they arrived, was encouraged to keep speaking Indonesian at home while learning English and te reo. The preschool says it welcomes families from every background.
Open Locally lists six other childcare centres within a kilometre, including Barnardos Early Learning Centre Wellington Central and Capital City Preschool, each about 0.4 to 0.6 km away.