Tuku tono mai | Why Work for Us?
At our association this is more than just a name, it’s a philosophy. When you work for us, you are treated as family. You’re supported to grow professionally, and our structure is one of inclusion and diversity.
In working for Whānau Manaaki you are investing your energy and skill in a not for profit, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and community-based organisation with a strong standing in ECE. An organisation whose intention is to improve access for children, their parents and whanau to increasingly relevant services.
Whānau Manaaki is a workplace where you’ll feel free to share your opinions and ideas, because we value your insights and contributions to our association.
Work in Kindergartens
We employ teachers in 11 different regions around the central and lower north island and South Otago!
From the alpine life of the Central Plateau to urban living in Central Wellington…with 108 Kindergartens in 11 different regions there are plenty of options and lifestyles to choose from!
Professional Development
Whānau Manaaki facilitates hundreds of free courses and workshops around first aid and child protection as well as programmes like Kapa Haka, Raranga- weaving, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and more. Each year we run a two-day conference in Wellington for our 800+ staff with relevant and respected key speakers, and a diverse range of workshops.
If you’re a graduate, or a Provisionally Registered Teacher, you can get your career off to a great start with our Induction and Mentoring programme. This is designed to support you in your early years of teaching, working alongside an experienced Mentor.
Non-contact time
We know that being a great teacher involves more than the daily interactions you have with children, so we provide Teachers with 10-12 non-contact hours per week to support this varied and vital work. You can also feel confident, knowing that you are working alongside a team of 100% qualified teachers, and in knowing you all have a professional knowledge and understanding of children's learning and development.
Kindergarten Support Staff
All our kindergartens employ support staff, who are integral to the running of our services and are paid the living wage. Administrators and Teacher’s Aides are at the heart of kindergartens, helping teaching teams and Head Teachers with day-to-day teaching and learning.
Work in Head Office
As well as employing over 800 teachers and support staff in our kindergartens, we also employ an additional 250 people in our head offices and across our network to support them.
Our head office based in Porirua is the operational hub behind our services. Our people behind the scenes work in Human Resources, Project Management, Senior Leadership, Communications, Graphic Design, IT, Property Management, Finance, Health and Safety, Data Analytics and more.
Wellington and Whanganui office staff enjoy a supportive environment with regular shared lunches and social events.
Work in the Community
In addition to our kindergarten services, we also provide community services in and around the Porirua and Whanganui regions. We employ social workers who work with high-risk families. We support families by providing transport to and from kindergarten, as well as in home learning services for Pacific Families.
We are continually engaging in projects that help our communities and their children. Our Covid-19 response helped hundreds of families with food packages during their isolation.
Our involvement in the government’s Eastern Porirua Regeneration with Le Fale Job Skills Hub in Cannons Creek aims to provide support and employment for local Pacific families.
"Our strategic intentions are totally enabled through building communities, not just being involved, but being embedded in our communities. If we don’t know everything about our families, we can’t support our children in the best ways." Amanda Coulston, CEO.