Tēnā koutou katoa
Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
The OECE is a national organisation for the ECE sector and public adviser, championing high-quality education and care for every child
View our positions
- Provides membership support to ECE services, teachers, researchers, and community partners
- Actively contributes to sector analysis, research, and policy development
- Advances evidence-based best practices that prioritise children’s interests and wellbeing
View the Code of Conduct for ECE Services
Get Unrestricted Access to NZ’s Specialist ECE NEWSROOM
National and local stories, expert analysis, commentary, and more.
Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
Free to sign-up and receive
Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
Helping Parents Make the Transition to ECE
Parents Leaving their Child For the First Time in Care – An anxious time.
“A heart wrenching moment for all parents is when we leave our child for the first time in the care of someone else who is not well-known to us or at early childhood service or school. A child may become a lot quieter than usual or kick up a fuss. Either way as parents we
Teaching Science and Children’s Scientific Learning
Teaching Science and Children’s Scientific Learning. By Rachel Pratt.
How many times do you walk into a centre that has a table in the corner, which is beautifully set up with magnifying glasses, natural materials, and posters about a certain scientific process? And how often do you see children using it?
It’s great to have a science
School Starting Age – Evidence and Arguments
The Best Age to Start School. By Dr Sarah Alexander.
In New Zealand nearly all children have their first full day at primary school on or very close to their 5th birthday. This is a social custom as it is not a legal requirement for families to enrol their child until 6 years of age. Parents have a choice to continue their child in early ch
The Concept of Tuakana-Teina dictated by Whakapapa
Within Aotearoa, NZ early childhood education pedagogy, the relationships of tuakana, teina are misunderstood, misinterpreted and/or misused. Ngaroma Williams explains how and calls for a Maori worldview to be expressed and better understood.
Service Provider Member Posts
Caring for Yourself When Managing or Leading an ECE Service/s
Caring for yourself when managing a service or in the role of a leader. And, the responsibilities that owners and governance committees must meet in regard to supporting the manager and leaders.
Introduction
There seems to be the perception and expectation that managers and leaders should be able to face difficulty in their role and �
Maximising 20-Hours ECE Funding Around Public Holidays
20-Hours ECE Changes.
When a service is closed for statutory holidays and is not providing care for children it does not receive funding.
Unfortunately this can mean a loss of income for a service, which is difficult especially when there are still wages and other costs to pay.
However, there is a trick to getting around this.  
Toddler died following a short distance fall, possibly from an adult-sized chair
The death of 20-month-old Lorenzo was due, in the opinion of the pathologist, to traumatic brain injury following a short distance fall with head impact.
In our opinion the tragedy was avoidable. There were several clear and serious failures in Lorenzo’s care before and after his accident.
We hope that the sector will learn from this tra
Trauma Policy: Procedures for Responding to Critical Incidents and Trauma in ECE Services
Every early childhood service needs a clear Trauma Policy to protect children, families, and staff when the unexpected occurs.
Traumatic incidents can happen and having a well‑designed plan ensures your team responds safely, confidently, and in line with legal requirements.
Our comprehensive policy template and procedures give services the structure they need to act quickly, support wellbeing, and maintain a calm, coordinated response.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Delineating and Reconciling Perspectives on Quality in NZ Early Childhood Services
Research on differences in perspectives on quality and evaluation held by managers, teachers and parents at early childhood centres. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Early Childhood Care and Education Policy: Ireland Country Note
Early Childhood Care and Education Policy: Ireland Country Note.
Deirdre Horgan, Shirley Martin, Maura Cunneen and Marcella Towler. University College Cork, Ireland.
Full Reference: Horgan, D., Martin, S., Cunneen, M., & Towler M. (2014). Early childhood care and education policy: Ireland country note. New Zealand Research in Ear
Affordability of Quality Early Childhood Education and Care
The cost of early childhood education and care is a highly visible issue. This paper argues that much of this issue of affordability of quality early childhood education and care stems from the marketisation and the growth of for-profit services.
Editorial – Research on Child Health and Wellbeing
An overview of research published in this edition of the journal on factors contributing to child health and wellbeing in the early years of education. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
What We Do
Resources
