Tēnā koutou katoa

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

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:

Service Providers

(Comes with free Newsroom and Research access)

Teachers

(Comes with free Newsroom and Research access)

Research

For Research users and Tertiary Education Libraries

Teacher Member Posts

This category can only be viewed by members.
asthma spacer
Disability, Health & Learning Needs

Asthma

Asthma is quite common among children but many of them will grow out of it as they get older. Around one in four New Zealand children show signs of asthma at some time.

This article tells you about the known causes of asthma, treatments, when a child may or may not have asthma, and practical ways of improving the home and early childhood centre

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
laughing together children and teachers in an early childhood centre
Behaviour and Social Skills Support

Laughter, Jokes and Having Fun

Fun and laughter in ECE – in our relationships with children and each other.

Creating a positive, playful, and happy climate to be in is key to effective teaching for diverse children.  

Some of the things that make us laugh and giggle are:

Tickles and playful games like peek-a-boo, this little piggy went to market finger-play game,

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
Child Health, Attachment, and Wellbeing

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

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
e-portfolios
Assessment of Learning

Child E-Portfolios

E-Portfolios in Early Childhood Education. By Julia Button.

This article describes and discusses the use and place of e-portfolios in early childhood education. Considerations for using e-portfolios and limitations are outlined. A special section looks at the involvement and contribution of families and others to children’s e-portfolio

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »

Service Provider Member Posts

This category can only be viewed by members.
cake birthday celebration homebased
Parent Forms and Complaint Handling

Family Exit Form For Feedback and Ways to Acknowledge a Child’s Time with You

Acknowledging a Child’s Time with You

Have you thought about how you’ll mark a child’s time at your service? Simple, meaningful gestures help children and whānau remember the transition and feel celebrated.

Ideas for the child

Farewell card with photos of highlights from their time at your service.

Book gift in an area of the

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
Why a toilet suitable for adults to use is necessary in early childhood centre
Premises, Facilities, Layout & Space

Adult Toilet and Staff Bathroom

There are many good reasons for having a toilet specifically for adults that is suitable for adults to use. Sometimes staff need to use the toilet within a confined space of time, for example, while on a ten minute break or a parent needs to rush in and use the toilet when dropping off or picking-up their child. There may be lots of toilets but most may be more suitable for children’s use – smaller, lower to the ground and often in stalls of small size, for safety purposes. Small toilets in small spaces cannot accommodate the much larger size of adults.

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
behavioural disorders
Behaviour and Social Skills Support

When a Child’s Behaviour Gets Hard to Manage and When Enrolment May be Terminated

Some behaviours can push an ECE service to its limits – disrupting the programme, upsetting other children, and demanding constant one‑to‑one supervision. When this happens, leaders often question what they can legally do, and what might unfold if a parent escalates concerns on social media or to local media.

In this OECE article for teachers and services, we share practical tips from teachers and service providers who’ve navigated these challenging situations, along with guidance on what can work and what doesn’t.

We also outline the circumstances under which enrolment may be legally terminated or a child may be excluded, and the key considerations you should work through as part of your decision‑making process.

Login to read the full article and get the guidance.

Read More »
kitchen early childhood centre Food Act
Health and Safety Management

Complying with the Food Act

Complying with the Food Act.

All ECE services to whom the Food Act applies must apply for registration (under national programme 2) and be registered before they can provide food to children.

Exempt early childhood services

An early childhood service is not required to operate under the national programme 2 if:

It is a home-based s

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »

Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles

This category can only be viewed by members.
NZIRECE Journal early childhood education research
2000 NZRECE Journal Articles

Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2000, Vol 3

The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 3, 2000 are shown below.

To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.

The Early Years: Conceptual Issues and Future Challenges

Joy CullenMassey UniversityNZRECE Journal, Vol. 3, 2000, pp.&nbs

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
early childhood research journal online
2014 Special Policy Issue

The State of Play in Early Childhood Policy: A Note from Australia

The State of Play in Early Childhood Policy: A Note from Australia.

Frances Press. Charles Sturt University, New South Wales.

Full Reference: Press, F. (2014). The State of Play in Early Childhood Policy: A Note from Australia.  NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 17, 11 – 20. 

Invited Country Note

Abstr

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
Child playing with toy dinosaurs while a girl looks on the shelves for more toy animals at their early childhood centre.
Book Reviews

Progressing Play

How to teach and not what to teach is the focus of ‘Progressing Play’. 

The authors detail, discuss and throughout the book provide real-examples of children’s play and teacher action and responses – to support and inspire the reader to think about and extend the quality of her or his teaching in many different areas

Read More »
NZIRECE Journal early childhood education research
2005 NZRECE Journal Articles

Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2005, Vol 8

The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 8, 2005 are shown below.

To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.

Children as Rights Holders: Considerations for Research

Cindy KiroChildren’s Commissioner, New ZealandNZRECE Journal, V

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »

What We Do

The Office of ECE drives high-quality care, learning and teaching for all infants and young children and high-quality working environments for teachers and service providers.
Teacher supervising infant and young child playing in playground at ECE centre.

The Office of ECE Login

Take Action!

Help spread this vital ECE information, join our free social and email groups and become a member of OECE.

pay parity funding policy

1. Share This Information

2. Follow Our Social Pages

3. Get Regular Updates

Sign up to our free newsletters.

4. Become a Member