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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
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- 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
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Teacher Member Posts
Pet Lamb – What You Need to Know
TITLE: Pet Lamb – fostering agreements, day-to-care care, benefits for children’s play and learning, and regulatory requirements
Some lambs are sadly orphaned at birth or there may be another reason why a farmer may decide the lamb would be better off to be hand-reared (such as in the case of multiple births and the mum having only one teat).
Your service could offer to help to hand-rear the lamb.
A lamb gives children a new responsibility.
A lamb is a new playmate and a friend that will love them unconditionally.
A lamb is gentle. It delights in playing but also at times needs to stop and drink or sit down and rest.
This is a pet that is dependent on care for survival and that will teach children to nurture.
Introducing a pet lamb to your early childhood service is an excellent way to naturally support children to spend more time outdoors running, jumping and skipping and enjoying the spring weather.
Below we cover aspects of
– How to get a lamb
– Agreements with the farmer and with your children for fostering the lamb
– Preparing for the lamb and what you need
Picky Eaters and Managing Children’s Eating Habits
Picky eaters? Some children may display anxiety and unhealthy eating habits when they begin early childhood education, others may display behaviours at different times that you are wondering if these are normal, and what to say, do and change.
This article covers:
The adult’s role in providing for children’s food preferences and eating b
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
Giving Medicine to Children: Safe Practices in ECE and Clear Expectations
Giving medicine in ECE settings requires clear policies, especially when parents request painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. It highlights the risks, the confusion many teachers face, and the need for consistent, safe practices that protect children’s health.
Service Provider Member Posts
Flooding
Flooding – what to do and what not to do when there is flooding or a threat of flooding.
Be prepared for floods to occur wherever you are located, but particularly if located in a low-lying area, near the coast, rivers and water, or downstream from a dam.
If sustained and hard rain follows a period of drought, flooding can occur as the grou
Arrears in Fees: Managing the WINZ Childcare Subsidy
Managing arrears in fees can be a headache for service providers, and especially when parents are on the WINZ subsidy. Several centre and home-based service providers have mentioned a problem they have when parents who are receiving a WINZ subsidy do not inform them that their income has lifted and so they are no longer eligible for the subsidy.&nb
Child Protection Policy: Strategic, Powerful and Clear Framework for ECE Providers
Updated April 2026 with the latest regulatory requirements.
A strong child protection policy isn’t just about meeting licensing standards – it’s a core safeguard for children, your team, and the trust families place in your service.
With new 2026 updates now in force, it’s essential your policy reflects current expectations and best practice.
Log in with your member details to read the full guidance. If your service’s membership has lapsed or you’d like to join, get in touch and we’ll help you get set up quickly.
On this page, we break down the latest regulatory changes, provide the most effective template to use, and share practical insights to help your service demonstrate a genuine, proactive commitment to child protection.
Login to read more
Children Screaming – Risk to Adult and Child Hearing
How a child screaming can hurt adult ears
What did you say? I can’t hear you. I’m cuddling a circular saw!
By James Lochead-Macmillan.
Most research into screaming children focuses on the production of the stress hormone Cortisol.
What is significantly less reported is how dangerous that screaming child is to their car
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal 1998, Vol 1
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 1, 1997/8 are shown below.
To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.
Introducing Computers to Preschoolers
Claire Fletcher-FlinnUniversity of AucklandNZRECE Journal, Vol. 1, 1997/8, pp.&nb
Masters Thesis Directory
This is an education masters thesis directory. It shows NZ masters theses on research, policy analysis and/ or theory relevant to young children’s care, health, and teaching and leaning. The education masters thesis directory includes M.A., M.Ed., M.Phil, M, Health Science theses.
An education doctoral thesis directory is also available if yo
Educators Listening and Partnering with Parents: Recognising Parental Wellbeing and Agency
Research on parent wellbeing and recognising parent agency in ECE. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2001, Vol 4
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 7, 2004 are shown below.
To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.
A Right to Respect and Reciprocity: Ethics and Educational Research with Children
Helen HedgesNZRECE Journal, Vol.
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