About Pohutukawa Kids

This website is the information hub for Pohutukawa Kids, a home-based childcare and education service based at 7 Ballance Street in Gisborne. It exists to answer the questions whānau ask us most often before they enrol a child: what home-based care actually looks like, how many children an educator cares for, what it costs, how the 20 free hours for three to five year olds work, and which subsidies can help.

It is built for parents, caregivers and whānau across Gisborne and Wairoa who are choosing care for a child aged from birth to five years, including families who need hours outside the standard working week — our educators offer care seven days a week. It is equally useful for people considering becoming a home-based educator themselves, and for the wider early childhood community wanting to understand how home-based services sit alongside childcare centres.

Pohutukawa Kids runs the service and maintains this site. Every educator is supported by qualified visiting teachers who visit each home regularly, work alongside the educator and whānau, and keep learning aligned with Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. Wherever something changes — a new educator, a trip, an event, a holiday closure — the latest news is shared on our Facebook page, and the pages here hold the details that stay the same.

Use the menu to read about our philosophy and values, meet the educators and staff, check costs and subsidies, browse frequently asked questions, or find our contact details. If you cannot find what you need, ring or email us and we will talk it through with you.