when to look for kindy and where?

a friend of mine said today that you need to get kids on waiting lists quite early here. does anyone know what age is the norm to start looking at kindys and also where you can find local kindy's and information/ratings etc...

Were you wanting a public kindy, or a daycare? I'm not sure about Wellington but in Auckland you can put your child on the waiting list for public kindy on their 2nd birthday although they dont normally start till they are over three.  With daycare / private or community centres etc you can put them on the list as soon as you are pregnant at some! (like the daycare I work at) 

If you know the name of the centre you can look at their latest review http://www.ero.govt.nz/ero/publishing.nsf/Content/Home+Page

feel free to PM me if you need any more info

 

Private kindys go from 2years so I guess you put them on the list whenever but the earlier the better.

Public kindys don't really encourage it before 2 and in Auckland the earliest you'll get your child in (in most places) is 3.5 years.

Because public kindys try to get as many children in before school they go by age (like Nikki said) so if you have had your child on the list since he was 2 and he's now 3 and a 4.5yo rocks up then chances are the 4.5yo will get first shot so he gets six months prior to school.