A New Era in the Right to Sign hearing technologies or NZSL services). support available at an early age is likely They may also have support if they choose to be needed to make the option of using both approaches together. NZSL a real one. A bilingual approach requires more NZSL fluent personnel within early intervention Good practice in language support in early childhood services. AODCs, as the key support people There are lessons to be learnt from other for families, generally have a level of basic early language initiatives in New Zealand. NZSL competency but most are not fluent users or teachers of the language. The The Ministry of Education provide Fitzgerald Report showed that, although kaitakawaenga positions to help Special some NZSL training for early intervention Education provide culturally appropriate staff was occurring, there was a large gap if services to Māori children, their whānau fluent NZSL is expected. and educators. The Fitzgerald Report suggested this model could be mirrored Parents and the deaf community valued with the provision of Deaf cultural the early intervention role undertaken by advisors.87 the deaf mentors/deaf resource person positions employed by the DECs between Kōhanga Reo provide total immersion 2000 and 2010. These were NZSL fluent in te reo Māori for whānau and children para-professionals who provided NZSL from birth to six years. Kōhanga Reo instruction and Deaf cultural support to were community initiated and are now families. The Fitzgerald Report proposed government funded. They have been that “a broader range of early childhood central to the transmission of te reo Māori intervention staff is required to ensure and to whānau development.88 adequate development of sign language”. It said this should include new positions DECs provide immersion in NZSL in for deaf consultants and NZSL tutors.86 The Auckland and Christchurch. Outside these Commission supports this proposal. areas, there is potential to develop “deaf nests” along similar lines to Kōhanga Currently the Ministry of Education and Reo. Deaf nests have existed in the past Ministry of Health are reviewing processes and could provide opportunities for full to ensure parents of deaf children are able immersion in NZSL for pre-school children to make fully informed choices. This work is and their families.89 Establishing these important and requires input from parents would require resourcing and leadership. and other stakeholders, including the deaf community. Increasing NZSL services and 37