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The new chair of Te Kohanga Reo National Trust says the movement has been a force for social and economic change as well as for the revitalisation of te reo Maori.
Matua Hook has been involved with kohanga since 1991 when he set up a language nest in his Hastings home.
It has now grown into a composite school, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Wananga Whare Tapere o Takitimu, with pre-school, primary and secondary pupils as well as a Maori performing arts school.
He says since its inception kohanga reo has been one of the biggest employers of wahine Maori.
"People are thrust into our movement and have the expectation they run a small business and I think the skills that our parents have attained from doing that are subject to none. Bringing up a child you have to have those skills anyway and kohanga just allows them to grow those skills as parents and whanau," Mr Hook says.
The new Kohanga Reo National Trust board will look at the quality of delivery of its programmes, more support for whanau and settlement of the trusts Waitangi Tribunal claim.
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