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Nutritious meals
Centres can choose from a range of recipes that children love. The menu includes a vegetarian-friendly option that can also be made egg-free, catering to a variety of dietary needs.
Our early childhood programme
"Early childhood is when the brain is forming, so to know that they’re arriving in a warm jacket and shoes, and the food that they need is here. That’s amazing."
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The early years are our most formative, shaping our ability to learn, think and grow
The right nutrition, a stimulating environment, and opportunities to play – all of these are key to healthy brain development during those all-important early years. KidsCan’s early childhood education (ECE) programme aims to ensure children living in hardship can not only attend pre-school but thrive there.
KidsCan partners with over 500 early childhood centres and kōhanga reo
We support low-equity centres by providing free food, clothing and health products. We feed every child with a daily healthy lunch from recipes children love, including spaghetti bolognese and chicken stir-fry, complemented with fruit and yoghurt. Every child also receives a warm jacket, shoes and socks, dinosaur gumboots, headlice treatment and a comb.
Waikato University research found the programme is making a ‘valuable difference’ to children’s wellbeing. Good nutrition and warm clothing mean children are more engaged in learning, with increased energy and attention spans.
We also have a separate food programme which is funded by the New Zealand Government for up to 10,000 preschoolers. The KidsCan ECE Food for Kids Programme is a free food programme offered to 2 to 5-year-olds attending eligible early childhood education (ECE) centres around Aotearoa.
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