A.i.d.s. Girl Starts Kindergarten (Press, 16 September 1986)

On 16 September 1986, it was reported that three families withdrew their children from the Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten in Hastings after a four-year-old A.I.D.S. carrier, Eve van Grafhorst, began attending the school. Eve is notable for being the first publicly identified A.I.D.S. carrier accepted at a kindergarten in New Zealand, attending five mornings each week. The withdrawal of the three families involved five or six children, according to David Simpson, a spokesman for the Steiner college. Despite this, twenty-five families chose to keep their children enrolled at the kindergarten. Simpson expressed satisfaction with the college's decision to accept Eve, emphasising their hope that it would herald a more typical life for her, especially since she had been previously barred from a child-care centre in Sydney. This acceptance followed an educational initiative by the college aimed at raising awareness and understanding of A.I.D.S. Simpson described the effort as "very positive" and suggested that it could serve as a model for other schools. He noted that unlike state schools, the Steiner college had the liberty to make such a decision and acted on that choice. Eve's mother, Gloria van Grafhorst, expressed her elation at her daughter's successful first day at the kindergarten, praising the school's handling of the situation related to A.I.D.S. and commending their supportive environment.

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