BestStart Balclutha offers quality childcare and education for children from 3 months to 5 years old. We have two learning spaces for our tamariki - the under 2’s room is called Poumahaka and over 2’s room is called Mata-au. We are open from 7.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday closing only on Public Holidays.

Your Whānau, Our Whānau – Kotahitanga

At BestStart Balclutha our kaiako are committed and passionate about learning and growing alongside our tamariki and whānau. We provide a safe and inclusive child led learning environment that connects to our local community that creates our local curriculum. We have a large outdoor space for our Mata-Au room where tamariki can explore and create in our large sandpit or use their imagination in our natural grass and bush space.

We are a small rural community where everybody has a connection with someone. This creates a great opportunity for our teina/tuakana and ako relationships between tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. Learning, leadership and responsibility are shared amongst everyone here at BestStart Balclutha, including tamariki, whānau and kaiako.

Our philosophy is based on tamariki being at the forefront of everything we do. Tamariki and whānau are valued with the knowledge they bring and have a place to stand within our centre. We believe in collaboration with all in our community to get the best outcomes for our tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. We love to celebrate Matariki and get together as a centre to strengthen our special community we are all a part off.

We would love for you to come and meet us and see if this is a place where you feel like you belong. Make a time to come and see us, we are waiting for you.

For more information about the specific fees for your centre, please contact us directly (03) 418 0052 /  balclutha@best-start.org. You might be eligible for support paying their childcare fees. For more information click here.