The ECE Safety Checklist – A Daily Hazard and Safety Checklist for Every ECE Service. Checklist items include regulation requirements and reflect learnings from tragic incidents that have happened in ECE.
How to Use the Checklist
This checklist is to assist in conducting and recording the daily inspection.
It is more thorough and detaile
Not a member? Service owners, managers, and community organisations may apply to join as a service provider.
It is prestigious to belong to the OECE. Membership is usually by invitation. Online applications can be made if you think your service meets the criteria. To be a member a service must have as its first priority a focus on being high-quality for children and families. It must also agree to follow the standards in the Code of Conduct for ECE Services.
Running a parent survey when you want to do one is simple – we handle it for you and provide you with a confidential copy of the results. We will also cover the cost of the survey.
Promoting your service online to parents is taken care of. The OECE has partnered with the My ECE website and the ECE Parents’ Council Aotearoa to give members free advertising for their service. For details directly contact My ECE
Free subscription access to the ECE Newsroom – your service provider member login will let you view everything in the ECE Newsroom.
Complimentary access to over 25 years of published NZ and international research – your service provider member login gives you free access to the Research Library and support.
Management and ECE employment resources and advice will be at your finger-tips 24/7. We have so much available in the service provider area of our website – ranging from templates for policies, guidance on managing cashflow and debtors, staff drug use, negotiating pay with staff, and through to topics such as best sandpit design.
We will make running a staff survey simple for you. You can use our specially designed survey. We collect the results and will provide you with a confidential report of the findings. (50% discount available to service provider members).
Did you know that the OECE meets personally and regularly with the Ministry of Education national team, and the regulations committee and other forums?
Political leaders and journalists are able to use the OECE to gain deeper knowledge on a topic or issue, and we provide a sounding board for ideas and feedback.
Members have a direct line of communication with Dr Sarah Alexander, to bring to Sarah’s attention and discuss what’s affecting your service and community of children, families, and staff.
We are committed to keeping membership prices affordable and providing value for money.
Membership rates start at just $250 for 12-months. Or join for 2 years for only $350. For providers with multiple licensed services, the rates reduce per service the more licensed services you operate.
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Anyone thinking about getting a job in ECE working in ECE or thinking about moving to a different service will find clear, practical information in this article about pay rates, employment conditions, and what to expect in different roles. It explains everything from starting salaries and pay‑step calculations to workplace rights, benefits, and how to recognise a supportive, professional environment.
Discover the key organisations and sector groups shaping early childhood education in New Zealand – who they are, what they do, and how they influence the services, policies, and people at the heart of the ECE sector.
Getting a job. How can my ECE qualification help me to get a job? With an early childhood teaching qualification you may find yourself attractive
Breach of Trust – Getting it Right for Children in Early Childhood Care and Education in Ireland.
Mary Moloney. Mary Immaculate College, Ireland.
Full Reference: Moloney, M. (2014). Breach of trust – Getting it right for children in early childhood care and education in Ireland. NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal. Special
Degree‑level ECE training is shown to be the minimum qualification needed for teachers to deliver the intentional pedagogy and long‑term learning gains children deserve, with research demonstrating that anything less produces outcomes no better than having no qualified teacher at all. These studies make it clear that only fully trained ECE teachers are truly qualified to support children’s development in ways that last well into the school years.
Submission to the Education and Workforce Committee
The Education and Training (ECE Reform) Amendment Bill
Submitted by: Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE)
Date: 29 August 2025
CONTENTS:
– Introduction
– Summary of Key Concerns
– Our Position and Recommendations
– Errors and the Bill’s Shortcomings
– Closing Statement
INTRODUCTION
The Education and Training (Early Childhood Education Reform) Amendment Bill is promoted as a solution to improve the effectiveness of the early childhood education (ECE) regulatory system.
During the Bill’s first reading, Hon David Seymour shared the frustrations of ECE service operators he had spoken with—concerns that prompted the Ministry for Regulation review of the ECE regulatory system. He cited issues such as conflicting rules, a dictatorial approach, minor regulations enforced under threat of closure, and inconsistent enforcement.
The Bill is positioned as a long-overdue fix for these concerns, though it remains unclear whether the scale or severity of these issues truly warrants a full legislative overhaul.
However, the proposed reforms risk triggering serious unintended consequences—what’s known as the cobra effect, where attempts to solve a problem end up making it worse.
SUMMARY OF KEY CONCERNS
1. Sector Impact
The Bill is designed to reduce regulatory burdens for service providers—particularly those who struggle to understand existing requirements or view current regulations and penalties for non-compliance as unfair to themselves and their business operations.
However, these reforms could backfire on the very providers the Bill aims to support.
Looser regulation is likely to attract new entrants driven by commercial interests, potentially forcing high-quality providers to close due to unfair competition.
ECE employers – managing sick leave is becoming increasingly complex, and getting it wrong can put pressure on ratios, disrupt staffing, and create legal and health‑and‑safety risks.
This guidance covers exactly what you must provide, how to support staff appropriately, and how to protect your service when absences occur.
Running an early childhood service means constantly balancing legal obligations, maintaining safe staffing levels, and finding cover at short notice.
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.
Sick leave is one of the hardest parts of that balancing act – especially when absences create strain or when you’re unsure how to respond in a way that is both fair and compliant.
The page of the Pay Parity Steering Group can be found here. What is pay parity? Pay parity means a pay scale – reflecting the
Tuesday, 15 October 2024. Amid concern that NZ is at high risk of widespread transmission of whooping cough, the pivotal role of the Early Childhood
Help spread this vital ECE information, join our free social and email groups and become a member of OECE.
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