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Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
National and public adviser on ECE, the OECE is a sector body representing teachers and all types of licensed services driving safer, higher‑quality education 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
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Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
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Teacher Member Posts
SUDI – Death of an Infant when Sleeping
Sleep in ECE and Reducing the Risk of (SUDI): Learnings and What’s Legally Required versus Best Practice.
For years, the OECE’s chief advisor Dr Sarah Alexander has feared that a child would die from sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) in an early childhood education (ECE) setting. Now that has happened: An infant died from SUDI while
Sun Protection Activities for Teaching and Learning to Be Safe in the Sun
Sun Protection Activities On Being Safe in the Sun (songs, art and craft, science, drama etc).
Lots of easy to implement ideas for teaching and learning about sun protection and being safe in the sun are provided in this article. You’ll need to go to another article on our site if you are seeking info on best practices in ECE for pr
Diseases Requiring Children and Adults Not to Be at ECE
Diseases and Conditions Requiring Exclusion of Children and Adults from Coming In Contact with Any Other Person at the ECE Service.
Below is a list of the diseases and conditions likely to be passed on to children and to have a detrimental effect on them. When a child or adult has one of these diseases or conditions the early childhood s
Eczema
Eczema is quite common among young children. Some children grow out of it but this knowledge doesn’t help children, parents and teachers who are daily coping with it. There are times when it will flare up, and when infection happens, and there may be no apparent reason for this. Learn to manage rather than letting it manage you.
A child wi
Service Provider Member Posts
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
Overtime – Paying Staff for Work Outside Normal Hours
Employers’ obligations and rights on paying staff overtime and when they work outside of normal hours. This article covers what constitutes work outside of normal work hours that an employee must be paid for. NZ employment law that cannot be negotiated out of with an employee. Legal requirements for waged and salaried staff. It also tells you
Owner Worried about Putting Service at Risk By Employing Men
“I have nothing against employing men – but why put my centre at risk? Parents don’t want a male tending to their child’s personal needs. This is the type of society we now live in.”
owner of an early childhood service
Dr Alexander Replies
* In a childcare/early childhood education context children are not any safer with wo
Head Injury Suffered by Toddler on Concrete Ground in Mid-Winter
For an outline of key facts read our article: Nelson’s fall: Parents still don’t know how their toddler hit his head on concrete and had a brain injury at childcare
We’ve reviewed the centre manager’s report of the incident, Ministry of Education communications, Worksafe report, and lawyer correspondence. The learning we’ve taken is:
Don’t take children outside until the outdoor playground safety check is completed and ticked/signed.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
What is Research? Methodological Practices and New Approaches
A fantastic guide to doing research! Jeanette Rhedding-Jones explains that there is much to learn, understand, and consider when planning, doing, publishing and evaluating research.
“A City Possessed”: The Christchurch Civic Creche Case by Lynley Hood
No other case of child abuse in New Zealand’s history has held public attention so strongly and for so long as the Christchurch Civic Creche case. Lynley Hood persisted, despite legal and other pressures, to get to the bottom of the case.
From a Good Idea to a Robust Research Design: A Discussion of Challenges in Designing Early Childhood Research
Designing an ECE Research Study. By Claire McLachlan.
Abstract: Designing and carrying out research in the area of early childhood education is one that is attempted by many, including experienced and beginning researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students as well as by people working in a range of different early childhood servi
Children Learning about Same-Sex Families
FULL REFERENCE: Liang, X., Waniganayake, M., & Hadley, F. (2023). Children learning about same-sex families: Perspectives of Chinese parents living in Australia. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 25, pp. 44-56.
Log-in to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT: Every child should feel valued and have a sense of belonging in the early childhood (EC) setting they attend regardless of their family composition. A comprehensive literature review undertaken has revealed that a key source of EC practitioners’ reluctance to include same-sex families in their programmes has been their perceived opposition of parents. To better understand parents’ perspectives on the inclusion of same-sex families in EC settings, this study captured the views of parents of Chinese heritage living in Australia. It explored parents’ perceptions about their own children’s understanding of same-sex families. Analysis of the online survey (43 mothers and 11 fathers) and follow-up interviews (four mothers and one father) indicated parents’ reluctance towards engaging children in learning about same-sex families. Underpinning this reluctance were themes about: 1) the relevance of information that parents perceived their children have access to about same-sex families; and 2) challenges they identified about children’s conceptual capabilities and developmental outcomes. The findings suggest that parents require evidence-based information to alleviate potential concerns and practitioners require dedicated professional training to gain confidence in including same-sex families.
KEY WORDS: Early childhood education, same-sex families, diversity, inclusion, parents, training.
INTRODUCTION
Children from birth to five years are described as competent and capable in Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 (EYLF 2.0) (Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2009). Children’s ability to understand topics such as same-sex families should not be underestimated. In revising the original EYLF, gender and family diversity, two aspects of a child’s identity, were being updated in the Learning Outcomes when the study reported in this paper was conducted (Hadley et al., 2021). Learning about including same-sex families in early childhood (EC) settings is integral to upholding children’s rights to quality education without discrimination, as required by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (The CRC; Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR], 1989). It aligns with the EYLF V2.0 in recognising that inclusion requires anyone who works directly with children in EC settings to consider children’s gender, sexual identity, and family circumstances in their curriculum decision-making practices (AGDE, 2009). It also supports the core objective stated in the Alice Springs (Mparntme) Education Declaration (The Declaration) to ensure children’s access to a comprehensive education during early childhood that enables “all young Australians to become active and informed members of the community” (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2019, p. 6).
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