Evolve Education Group, with brands that include ‘Learning Adventures’ and ‘Lollipops’ has declared itself to be pro-gun.

The business lobby representing the views of owners and providers of some childcare centres under the name "Early Childhood Council'  supports the normalisation of guns in NZ as in America.

Its spokesperson told TV3’s The Project on 29/3/208: for “young preschool aged kids that are very vulnerable it’s a great time to learn about things like gun safety.  It’s the perfect time to be introducing some level of gun safety training and an idea of how to keep themselves safe and others. “

The ECC requires centres to join as an entity. A provider who has 15 centres for example counts as 1 member.  The ECC claims on its website to have “almost 1,200 financial members.”  It has been claiming to have a similar figure for well over a decade.    

Early Childhood Council Members

1. Glennie Oborn & Allan Wendelborn, own 49 centres under the Kindercare Learning Centres Ltd brand and the Living and Learning Foundation brand. As well as childcare centres they own the NZ Tertiary College.  A childcare centre employee Tim Lainson is on the ECC executive, thereby helping to influence executive members to ensure his employers interests remain paramount in the ECC's lobbying of politicians. 
2. Auckland Kindergarten Association, own 5 childcare centres under the KINZ brand. It is opening 2 more.  Representation of its views by the ECC and ownership of childcare centres poses a risk to the AKA for retaining its government recognition as a public kindergarten association for the purpose of providing kindergarten.
3. EVOLVE EDUCATION is a publicly listed investment company with 128 centres under the brands of Learning Adventures, Lollipops, Little Earth Montessori, Pascals, Little Wonders, Little Lights Kindy, and Active Explorer. Following announcement of the gun education kit shares dropped from $0.54 on 26 and 27th March to $0.52 on 29th March. Decline continued with shares at $0.47 on 9th April. On 3rd April intention to sell PORSE in-home brand was announced.
4. Lonnie Parker and Ashton Parker, own 3 centres under the brand of Bright Sparks among other business interests in the aged-care industry.
5. Nazneen  Gluga and Elvis Gluga own 4 centres under the brands of Busby Street Childcare, Care-a-lot Childcare, Castor Bay Infant, and Before Six early learning centre
6. Ross Penman owns 3 centres - Prodigy childcare, Auckland
7. Maria Johnson and Craig Johnson, own 4 centres under the brands of Little School Ltd in Wellington and the Khandallah Nursery School. Their company Johnson Preschool Ltd has a 8.7% stake in Educa online portfolio system that collects data on children and for which the ECC receives commission for sales. Maria Johnson holds an additional personal 2.08% share in the Educa company.
8. Maree Moselen owns 3 centres under the Next Generation brand in Auckland
9. Darius Singh and Nikeeta Singh own 4 centres under the brands of Magic Kingdom, Fern Garden, Milky Way, and Chrysalis Early Learning Centre.
10. Dianna Jenkinson and Darren Jenkinson own 2 centres under the brand of Fundamentals.
11. Annabel Sloss and Hamish Ensor own 9 centres under the brand of Annabel's in Christchurch.
12. Margie Blackwood owns 1 centre - Kids Kampus, Auckland.
13. Mira Mautner and Ira Mautner 3 centres under the brands of Pukeko Preschool and Pukeko Treehouse
14. Lyndsey Eder and Ian Shrimpton owns 3 centres under the brand of Portobelo 
15. Michelle Pratt, Nicola Pendergarst and Kelly Lambert own 7 centres (licensed for 726 children) under the brand of New Shoots Ltd
16. Sue Wayman owns 1 centre - Small World Preschool, Christchurch
17. Juliet Wensley owns 1 centre - Fingerprints Christian Preschool, Christchurch
18. Monique Kilgarriff owns 4 centres under the brands of Little Orchard and Douglas Street in Whakatane
19. Hamish Davidson (and family) own 3 centres under the Puddleducks brand in Palmertson North
20. Gregory Parker and Vincent Grgicevich own 6 centres under the Junior Junction Ltd brand in Auckland and Hamilton
21. Michelle Tod-Bosch & Adrian Tod-Bosch own 2 centres in Takapuna under the brands of Lakeview Kindy and Peekaboo Childcare
22. Tracy Summerfield owns 2 centres under the brand of The Cat's Pyjamas Childcare Ltd, Christchurch
23. Ann Barrowclough owns 1 centre - City Heights, Dunedin
24. Phil Horan and Rosalin Horan own 1 centre -Te Whare Aroha O Nga Mokopuna Ltd, Hastings
25. Julie Kydd and Kaye McElwee own 1 centre - Imagine Preschool Ltd, Lower Hutt
26. Parul Gupta owns 2 centres - the Waipuna Preschool and Tiny Turtles Educare
27. Toni New owns 1 centre - Creative Kids, Auckland
28. Beryl Langford owns 1 centre - The Little Castle, Auckland
29. Linda Broekman owns 3 centres - First Learners in Christchurch Mairehau, Rangiora and Shirley
30. Christine and Steven Kirkeby own 1 centre - Bella Montessori, Kaiapoi
31. Jan Matthews owns 1 centre - Jan's Preschool, Blenheim
32. Toddlers Turf, Auckland
33. Awapuni Under Fives,Gisborne
34. Uxbridge Early Learning Centre, Auckland
35. Kaurilands Kindergarten, Auckland
36. St Albans Community Preschool, Christchurch
37. Footsteps Adventist Preschool,Palmerston North
38. Our Family Early Learning (private), Auckland

Total:  38 members.

Have you been missed in above list? Please let us know. 

Should your early childhood centre no longer have its views represented by the Early Childhood Council please let us know to remove your service's name.

Corrections are welcomed 

OTHER ARTICLES: 

The success of pro-gun childcare providers