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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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Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
Integrated Early Childhood Services for Children and Families
Integrated Early Childhood Services. Joanne M. Alderson.
Two buzz words in early childhood education today are ‘collaboration’ and ‘partnership’. They roll off the tip of the tongues of professionals in our field. But what exactly do these words mean in practice?
This article by Joanne Alderson seeks to answer this question based o
Individual Education Plan
Individual Education Plan Appropriate for Young Children and in Early Childhood Education Services.
How are teachers and parents to know what a child is really learning and establish joint goals, assessment and feedback?
Use the ‘Individual Education Plan’ template provided below.
This includes instructions and an example.
Print v
The Kind of Teacher You Are
It all Comes Out in the Wash! Teaching Style and Thinking About The Kind of Teacher You Are. By Joy Lubawy.
Have we moved forward with the times in educating young children?
Do you remember when your Mother used to boil the copper and stir the clothes in the boiling water with a wooden stick? Gosh the clothing must have been ha
Natural Disasters, Evacuation and Separation Effects on Children
When there is a major earthquake or a devastating natural disaster, the effects on children may continue into adolescence, adulthood and old age.
Research on children experiencing natural disasters and parental separation provides helpful information and guidance on what might help to minimise the chances of long-term negative effects an
Service Provider Member Posts
Right of Entry Policy
Regulations require that certain groups of people, including parents, union staff, and public officials, have a right of entry to the early childhood service under certain conditions, and set out the responsibilities of the early childhood service.
Below is a Right of Entry Policy and a set of procedures for different situations. Adapt and re-w
Transforming Difficult Relationships with Senior Staff or Committee Members
Strong relationships are essential in ECE, especially when someone in a senior role begins to dominate, micromanage or undermine others. This piece helps leaders shift their focus to building healthy, respectful working relationships through clear boundaries, trust and effective communication.
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
Building is Unusable But You Need to Continue Providing Care for Children
ECE Centre Temporary Relocation.
A major earthquake, a fire, or other unplanned event such as gas leak, may mean your early childhood centre building cannot be used.
Parents will continue to need childcare, and you want to continue business but what can you do?
And what arrangements can you make quickly and keep within the law?
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Infants and Toddlers in Non‑Parental Education and Care: Insights from the Children’s Commissioner Inquiry
The report offers evidence‑based recommendations to strengthen ECE for infants and toddlers, covering funding settings, flexible provision, child health, ratios and group-size, qualified and skilled workforce, teacher education, and everyday care practices.
On a Joyful Note: The Practice of Attending to Joy for Educator Wellbeing
Do early childhood educators experience joy in their work with young children? Is early childhood education a joyful profession or is joy all but lost?
Login to view the full article. Or to order a pdf copy of the article, go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
These questions have guided a recent study and the findings are reported here.
Early Childhood Educators’ and Parents’ Perspectives of Literacy for Children Under Three
Research on literacy practices for infants and toddlers (children under 3 years) in early childhood education and parent and educator understandings. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Airplane Grows in the Tummy of Clouds: Living Through Relations in the Early Years of Life
Using a child’s expression that illustrates his mental image of constituted relations of living things, the author conceptualizes relationality, an interrelated view of being, and its importance for early childhood education. The difference between relation and interaction, and the significance of inter-human relationship are discussed as signifi
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