My Account
A Matakana before and after school programme has started running a new morning pick-up service for children whose parents need to leave home before schools open or bus runs start.
Julie Atkinson, who founded Matakids seven years ago, says she has started doing pick-ups to help an increasing number of parents who are starting work earlier, facing a long commute or are just struggling to make family timings work.
“A lot of them are working mums and dads, busy parents who are leaving the house earlier,” she says.
“And getting kids out of the door and down to school can be a bit stressful, so it makes it easier not having to worry.”
Although most of the pick-ups are between 7am and 8am, some can be much earlier.
“I’ve done pick-ups at 5.30am, when parents have needed to be in West Auckland at 7am,” Julie says.
“If that happens, I just go to the home and let the children sleep, then they get up and I take them in to school.”
Matakids can pick children up from their home, a parent’s workplace or an agreed meeting point and deliver them to schools, preschools or kindergartens in Matakana, Leigh, Snells Beach or Warkworth.
Once everyone is on board Julie’s people mover, there’s often a visit to a playground or similar before school drop offs start at 8am, so that Matakids regulars don’t feel they’re at school every waking minute.
Julie runs an after school club at Matakana School between 2.45pm and 6pm, during which time she and her team can also do pick-ups and drop-offs to and from schools, homes and after-school sports and activities.
“I do pick-ups from kindies and bring them back here so parents can do one pick up instead of two,” Julie says. “And we have college kids coming here if they have siblings here so, again, parents only have to do one pick-up.”
She says the idea behind Matakids is to provide a home environment where kids can relax and chill out, and says she is grateful for the support of Matakana School’s trustees and principal Darrel Goosen for making it possible.
Info: matakids.co.nz
