Quality in home-based child care for under-two-year old children in Aotearoa New Zealand: conceptualising quality from stakeholder perspectives

Recent policy reports have raised concerns about quality education and care for under 2-year-olds attending home-based early childhood and care (HBEC) services, an issue that has received minimal research attention in Aotearoa New Zealand. This article explores what is meant by “quality” in HBEC for children under two using an ecological framework, drawing on the perspectives of various stakeholders, outlining implications for future policy and practice. Four semi-structured focus group interviews elicited stakeholders’ views of quality. The four groups were: experts; service providers/visiting teachers; educators/nannies; parents/whānau. The participants identified key aspects of the roles, relationships and activities of the different actors within quality HBEC microsystems, as well as the critical importance of mesosystem connections. Relationships at all levels were identified as a key component of quality, supporting a principle underpinning the philosophy and framework of Te Whāriki.