When parents first look at home-based childcare, one question comes up again and again: if my child is in someone’s home, who is checking the quality of their care and learning? The answer is the visiting teacher. In a licensed home-based service, every educator is supported and overseen by a qualified early childhood teacher who visits regularly. This guide explains what visiting teachers do, how their work shows up in your child’s day, and what to ask any provider before you enrol.
Who visiting teachers are
A qualified teacher behind every educator
In New Zealand, each home-based educator must belong to a home-based service, which provides support through a “person responsible” who is a fully qualified early learning teacher, as the Ministry of Education explains. That person is often known as a coordinator or visiting teacher. At Kia Ora Kids, the role is held by our visiting teachers, supported by our head teacher. They are the link between your child’s educator, the service and the national early childhood curriculum.
How the role differs from your educator’s
Your educator is the person your child spends the day with: the meals, naps, play and outings. The visiting teacher does not replace that relationship. Their job is to make sure the care and learning in that home meet the standard you would expect, and to help the educator plan what comes next for your child.
What a visiting teacher does
Regular visits to the educator’s home
Visiting teachers come to the educator’s home regularly while children are there. They see the setting, the routines and the children’s play first hand, rather than relying on paperwork. The Ministry of Education sets a minimum for every licensed home-based service: the person responsible contacts each educator at least once every two weeks, visits each educator at least once a month, and takes all reasonable steps each month to observe each child while that child is in care. You can read the full list of responsibilities on the Ministry’s page about roles and responsibilities in a home-based service.
Spot checks and curriculum assessments
Alongside planned visits, our visiting teachers carry out spot checks and curriculum assessments, and our head teacher also makes unannounced visits. This keeps quality consistent from one home to the next, not just on the days a visit is expected.
Home safety checks
The home where care takes place is checked against the Ministry of Education’s requirements for home-based care, and those checks are repeated regularly. All of our educators, and anyone aged 17 or over who lives with them, are police vetted. For the full list of safety and licensing checks to ask any provider about, see our checklist for choosing a home-based childcare provider.
How visiting teachers shape your child’s learning
An individual learning plan
Our visiting teachers work with your child’s educator to develop an individual learning plan suited to your child’s interests and abilities. The plan is based on Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, so everyday play is connected to real learning goals. If you would like to understand the curriculum itself, our guide to what kind of curriculum children need explains its principles and strands.
Planning the month ahead
Visiting teachers help educators plan and develop activities for the coming month, so your child keeps meeting new things to explore and discover. Typical activities include music, singing, dancing, painting, baking and gardening.
Recording progress in a portfolio
Your child’s progress is recorded in a portfolio with photos and artwork, so you can see what they have been doing and how they are growing. When you enrol, ask your educator how and when the portfolio is shared with you, so you know what to expect.
What this means for your family
Consistent quality across every home
Home-based care is personal by design. A home-based educator can have up to four children, from birth until they start school, which is the limit described by the Ministry of Education. The visiting teacher is what makes that personal setting a professional early learning service, with the same oversight in every home.
Group learning beyond the home
Children in home-based care are not limited to one house. Our educators take part in regular playgroups and work alongside other educators in the community, so children also get to learn in a larger group. Ask your educator which playgroups and outings are part of their week.
Knowing who your visiting teacher is
Most day-to-day questions go straight to your educator. For bigger questions about your child’s learning or development, it helps to know there is a qualified teacher involved in your child’s plan. When you enrol, ask who the visiting teacher for your educator is and the best way to raise a question with them.
Questions to ask about visiting teachers before you enrol
- Who is the visiting teacher for this educator, and what qualifications do they hold?
- How often do they visit, and do any visits happen unannounced?
- What do they check during a visit?
- How is my child’s learning planned, and how will I see their progress?
- How can I raise a question about my child’s development with the visiting teacher?
- Are there playgroups or group outings, and how often?
A provider that answers these clearly and without hesitation is showing you how seriously it takes oversight. You can also read a licensed service’s latest review on the Education Review Office website.
Home-based childcare with qualified support in Auckland
Kia Ora Kids has educators across Auckland, each supported by our visiting teachers and head teacher. If you would like care that feels like home and comes with professional oversight, find out more about home-based childcare in Auckland, browse our Auckland educators, or send us an enquiry to start the conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Does every home-based educator have a visiting teacher?
Yes. Each home-based educator must belong to a home-based service that provides support through a fully qualified early learning teacher. At Kia Ora Kids, every educator is supported by our visiting teachers.
How often does a visiting teacher visit?
The Ministry of Education requires the person responsible to visit each educator at least once a month and to contact each educator at least once every two weeks. Ask any provider how their own visits are organised.
Is the visiting teacher the same as my child’s educator?
No. Your educator cares for your child each day. The visiting teacher is a qualified early childhood teacher who supports the educator, checks quality and safety, and helps plan your child’s learning.
Do visiting teachers check the educator’s home for safety?
Yes. Home safety checks follow the Ministry of Education’s requirements for home-based care, and they are carried out regularly.
Does my child follow a curriculum in home-based childcare?
Yes. Learning is planned around Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, with an individual plan developed by your child’s educator and visiting teacher.