Please make sure you review and understand the Terms and Conditions of membership and website use below.
This website oece.nz (the Site) is operated by the Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) (We, us, our).
Contents
- General Terms
- Intellectual Property, Copying, and Use of Site Content
- Memberships and Subscriptions – including Ts & Cs for renewal and cancellation
- Credit Cards and Stripe Payments
- Continuity of Online Access to Member or Subscriber Areas, Articles, Resources, Benefits
- Corrections and Complaints
- Third Party Adverts, Services, & Goods
- Events
- Site Access Method Obligations
- Links To, Or With, Third Party Websites
1. GENERAL TERMS
1.1. Agreement to be Bound: These Terms and Conditions, together with OECE’s Privacy Policy, apply to all subscribers, members, visitors, and any other users of the Site. By subscribing, joining, accessing, or using the Site, you are deemed to have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy, you must immediately cancel any subscription or membership you hold and cease all access to and use of the Site. Continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
1.2. Liability for Accuracy: All content on this Site – including information, advice, materials, publications, and any correspondence from individuals associated with the Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) – is provided “as is”. OECE makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of any content or communication. OECE accepts no liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of, or reliance on, any information or advice provided through the Site or via email, including newsletters.
1.3. Liability for Use of Information, Advice, or Guidance: All information, advice, guidance, and resources provided by OECE – whether published on the Site, included in newsletters, or communicated via email – are general in nature and may not be applicable to your specific circumstances. OECE does not guarantee, represent, or warrant the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of any statements, articles, advice, information, or materials provided.
OECE accepts no liability for any loss, error, omission, or consequence arising from reliance on any content or communication. You should obtain independent professional and/or legal advice before taking any action based on information, advice, or resources supplied by OECE.
By accessing or using the Site or any OECE communications, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Office of Early Childhood Education, its team members, contractors, and independent advisors from and against all losses, actions, proceedings, costs, expenses (including legal fees), claims, and damages arising from your access to or use of the Site, its materials, or any associated correspondence, including newsletters.
1.4. Right to Amend the Terms and Conditions: OECE reserves the right to amend, update, or replace these Terms and Conditions at any time. Any amendments take effect immediately upon publication on the Site. By continuing to access or use the Site after amendments are published, you are deemed to be aware of, and bound by, the updated Terms and Conditions.
1.5. Suspension or Termination of Access to the Site: If OECE considers that you have breached any part of these Terms and Conditions, OECE may, at its sole discretion and without prior written notice, immediately suspend or terminate your access to the Site. Upon suspension or termination, you must immediately cease all use of the Site and any materials, information, or resources obtained from it, including any communications such as newsletters sent to you, your organisation, or your service. Continued use after suspension or termination is strictly prohibited..
2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, COPYING, AND USE OF SITE CONTENT
2.1. Intellectual Property Rights: All intellectual property rights in the Site and in all material published on it – including photographs, videos, articles, blogs, commentary, and user‑generated comments (collectively, the Site Materials) are owned by, or licensed to, the Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) and its owners. The Site Materials are protected by all applicable intellectual property laws and international treaties.
2.2. Licence to Use the Site: Subject to these Terms and Conditions, OECE grants you a non‑exclusive, limited, temporary, and revocable licence to access, browse, and use the Site (including the Site Materials) for lawful purposes only.
2.3. Permitted and Prohibited Use of Site Materials: Except as expressly permitted below, you must not use the Site Materials in any way – including copying, republishing, rewriting, reselling, redistributing, communicating, transmitting, or storing them (whether by caching, framing, scraping, or similar means), in hard copy, electronic, or any other form.
Permitted uses are limited to:
- Sharing OECE page or post URL links on social media platforms, in accordance with the Privacy Policy. Share OECE content
- Use permitted under a licence obtained from Copyright Licensing NZ Ltd for articles published in the NZIRECE Journal.
- Use for public or commercial purposes, only where you have first obtained written permission and a licence from OECE authorising your proposed use.
- Use for personal study or research, provided such use complies with New Zealand copyright law.
Accredited members of the media may cite OECE content, quotes, and commentary published in the ECE Newsroom (excluding comments posted by readers/users). The source – Office of Early Childhood Education – must be correctly acknowledged, and online publication must include a direct URL link to the original OECE content.
2.4. Licensing and Syndication Requests: If you wish to syndicate, reproduce, or obtain a licence to use any Site Materials beyond the permissions listed above, you must submit a written request to: admin@oece.nz
3. MEMBERSHIPS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, AND MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT
3.1. Eligibility and Responsibility When Selecting a Membership or Subscription. Please ensure you select the membership or subscription type that correctly applies to your role or circumstance. If OECE becomes aware that you have taken out a membership or subscription that you are not eligible for (e.g., teacher membership taken by a non‑teacher, or service provider membership taken by an individual), OECE may cancel the membership or subscription. No refund will be payable in these circumstances.
If your membership or subscription application is new and is not approved, OECE will refund the payment you have made, less any credit‑card processing or bank fees charged by third‑party payment providers.
If you are unsure which membership or subscription type applies to you, please contact OECE before purchasing.
- Teacher Membership
Available only to individuals who are studying toward an early childhood teaching qualification or who are currently employed in a teaching position within a licensed early childhood service.
- Service Provider Membership
Available only to licensed early childhood services. The membership belongs to the service provider or organisation. If you as a service provider or organisation have more then one licensed ECE service, you must select a membership option for the full number of licensed services in your group or organisation.
- Newsroom Subscription (Individual Rate)
This subscription is available only to individuals who are not purchasing on behalf of an organisation and who will not be using the subscription as part of their work or professional role.
Organisations – including news agencies, government departments, and ECE services – may take out an organisation‑level Newsroom subscription. Please contact OECE for rates and to arrange full access for your group or organisation.
3.2. Upgrading or Transferring Memberships or Subscriptions. You may cancel any membership or subscription you no longer wish to hold; however, no credit or refund is due when cancelling an active membership or subscription. Any new membership or subscription must be paid for in full.
The only exception applies to Newsroom subscriptions and Research User fees paid by an existing Teacher Member or Service Provider Member. In these cases, OECE may add additional months to your membership in lieu of any money already paid for Newsroom or Research User access after becoming a Teacher or Service Provider member.
3.3. Right to Decline Membership or Subscription Applications. OECE reserves the right to decline any membership or subscription application from any person, ECE service, or organisation, at our sole discretion and without obligation to provide an explanation. If payment has already been made online for an application that is declined, OECE will refund the payment in accordance with clause 3.10.
If an individual, service, or organisation whose application has been declined attempts to re‑apply without OECE’s prior written consent, OECE reserves the right to decline the application again and retain a 15% administration fee to cover processing time and repeated handling.
3.4. Right to Remove Membership or Subscription. If a member or subscriber passes on information (verbally, electronically, in writing, or via printed copies) from the restricted areas of the Site to any other person or organisation — notwithstanding clause 2.3 on permitted use of Site material — OECE reserves the right to cancel the member’s or subscriber’s access without notice, to refuse any future applications for membership or subscription, and to take any further action deemed appropriate. Any subsequent attempt to re‑join or purchase a subscription without OECE’s prior written consent will be declined, and OECE reserves the right to retain a 15% administration fee for repeated or nuisance applications.
3.5. Prohibited Users and Members: Membership and subscription services are not available to individuals or ECE services who do not support OECE’s goal of promoting high‑quality early childhood education and care, who act in ways that undermine the safety or quality of ECE, or who have caused harm to OECE, threatened or undermined OECE, its team members, or its writers, or taken any form of legal action against OECE.
Membership or subscription will be cancelled and no refund will be due.
This includes, without limitation:
- the Early Childhood Council (ECC), its past and current staff, past and present executive members, and life members; and
- New Shoots Children’s Centres management and representatives.
Exceptions may be possible, and individuals or organisations are advised to contact OECE to disclose any involvement. Failure to disclose association with the ECC or with New Shoots may result in cancellation of any membership or subscription held by you or your organisation, without notice and without refund.
Any subsequent attempt to become a Registered User or to take out a membership or subscription without OECE’s prior written consent will be declined. Any fees paid online will not be refunded, and OECE reserves the right to retain a 15% administration fee for repeated, nuisance, or bad‑faith attempts.
3.6. Change of ECE Service Ownership: Service provider memberships are not transferable to new owners. You agree to inform us immediately when you sell your service or are no longer be in charge of a service. We will then cancel the membership on your behalf and no further fees will be payable. The new owner or operating group must take out a new membership under its name.
3.7. Responsibilities of Subscribers and Members
You agree to:
- Use your real name when taking out a membership or subscription and when posting any comments on the Site.
- Not share, give, transfer, or otherwise allow access to your membership or subscription to any other person, group, or organisation.
- Keep your password secure and ensure that no other person has access to your login details, membership, or subscription.
- Notify OECE promptly if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your membership, subscription, or login details.
- Inform OECE of any misuse of the Site or of membership/subscription privileges that comes to your attention, including:
- membership‑only information being shared with third parties,
- breaches of copyright,
- improper access or use by individuals or organisations not entitled to membership or subscription.
3.8. Duration and Renewal: Your membership or subscription begins on the date and time it is activated and continues until you cancel your account or request cancellation. In your member dashboard (login required), you can check your account at any time, add or remove automatic renewal, update payment instructions, or cancel your membership. If you prefer, you can also contact us and we can make these changes for you.
It is your responsibility to cancel your membership or notify us in writing before your renewal date if you do not wish to continue. If cancellation is not completed before renewal, renewal fees remain payable, and OECE reserves the right to pursue unpaid fees. Password access to the member or subscription area will be suspended if the renewal fee has not been paid by the date your membership or subscription expires.
3.9. Refund for Cancellation before Expiry Date: Membership and subscription fees are non‑refundable once activated. If you choose to cancel before the expiry date, no refund is payable.
3.10. Change of Mind and Refund for Unwanted Renewal: If you choose to pay by credit card, it is your responsibility to manage your renewal settings, including checking whether automatic renewal is turned on or off in your member dashboard, and to select manual payment if preferred. You can update these settings at any time in your member dashboard or contact us for assistance.
If an automatic renewal occurs and you have a change of mind, you must notify us in writing within 48 hours of the renewal taking effect. When notification is received within this timeframe, OECE will refund the renewal payment less the credit‑card processing fee charged by Stripe for your original transaction. This fee is retained by Stripe and cannot be recovered by OECE.
If more than 48 hours have passed since the renewal was processed, no refund is payable. However, if you notify us, we will cancel your membership or subscription for you so that no further renewal charges are incurred.
4. CREDIT CARDS and STRIPE PAYMENTS
OECE’s preferred payment method is direct online banking, as this avoids third‑party processing fees charged on credit‑card transactions.
If you choose to pay by credit or debit card, your payment will be processed securely through Stripe. Your card details are not stored on the OECE website and are not accessible to OECE staff. Instead, Stripe uses a secure token system to process your payment. Stripe may store your card details according to its own policies. For more information, please visit: https://stripe.com/nz
Please note that Stripe charges a non‑refundable processing fee on all credit‑card transactions. If you request a refund for an unwanted renewal under clause 3.10, OECE will refund the renewal amount less the original Stripe processing fee, as this fee is retained by Stripe and cannot be recovered by OECE.
5. CONTINUITY OF ONLINE ACCESS TO MEMBER OR SUBSCRIBER AREAS, ARTICLES, RESOURCES, AND BENEFITS
OECE reserves the right to modify, change, suspend, or discontinue any membership or subscription features, benefits, resources, or services at any time and without notice. This includes withdrawing access to specific membership benefits or altering the nature of the benefits provided.
OECE does not guarantee that access to the Site, member or subscriber areas, or any content or services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error‑free. OECE cannot guarantee that the Site will remain continuously available, that it will be free from hacking or unauthorised interference, or that server outages will not occur due to human error, technical failure, or events beyond OECE’s control.
Under these Terms and Conditions, you expressly agree that your use of the Site – and your ability or inability to access any OECE materials, benefits, or services – is at your sole risk.
6. CORRECTIONS AND COMPLAINTS
OECE takes reasonable steps to ensure that no content on the Site is offensive, abusive, defamatory, obscene, incorrect, or misleading. However, errors or issues may occur, and we appreciate being directly alerted to any concerns. Please notify OECE immediately if you encounter content that you believe is offensive, abusive, defamatory, obscene, incorrect, or false. Direct notification enables OECE to take timely action and reduce any potential harm.
Please use the Contact Us form on the Site or email us directly. As electronic mail may occasionally be filtered or not received, if you do not receive a response or see corrective action within 72 hours of sending your notice, please resend your email or write to us at: The OECE, PO Box 58‑078, Porirua 5245, New Zealand.
Information, statements, or material that reflect the reported experiences of individuals, groups, or parties will not be removed unless the complainant provides sufficient and compelling grounds for removal. Information, statements, or material that OECE considers to be in the public interest will not be removed.
Where concerns relate to opinion articles, commentary, or views expressed, OECE may, at its discretion, invite the person or organisation raising the concern to provide a written rebuttal, clarification, or comment, supported by evidence. OECE may publish such rebuttal or comment alongside the original material if it considers this to be fair, accurate, and in the public interest.
If you disagree with OECE’s decision regarding a correction or complaint, OECE reserves the right to seek mediation through an independent third party. The mediator’s fees will be shared equally between both parties.
7. THIRD PARTY ADVERTS, SERVICES, AND GOODS
Where the Site and/or our newsletters contain third‑party advertisements, information, materials, or documents relating to or provided by third parties, OECE does not recommend, endorse, or warrant any third‑party products, services, organisations, or claims.
Any offers, promotions, or representations made by third parties are made solely by those third parties. They are entirely responsible for the quality, accuracy, delivery, and fulfilment of any goods or services you choose to access or purchase from them. OECE and its team members accept no liability for any loss, dissatisfaction, or consequence arising from your engagement with third‑party providers.
8. EVENTS
Cancellation: OECE reserves the right to cancel any event at its sole discretion. If an event is cancelled, all registration fees will be refunded. OECE accepts no responsibility for any additional costs incurred by registrants, including travel, accommodation, or other expenses.
Transfer of Registration: A registrant may transfer their place to another person from their organisation or service. OECE will accept a transfer only if the registrant informs OECE prior to the day of the event and provides the full name of the replacement attendee.
Venue Changes or Change to Virtual Delivery: OECE reserves the right to change the event venue or convert an in‑person event to a virtual event. Where such a change is required, OECE will make reasonable efforts to notify all registrants at least one week prior to the event date. In extraordinary circumstances including but not limited to flooding, fire, or other events affecting the venue, advance notice may not be possible.
9. SITE ACCCES METHOD OBLIGATIONS
You may access the Site only through a standard web browser. You must not attempt to access, monitor, or interact with the Site using any other method, including (but not limited to) deep‑linking, data mining, automated scripts, robots, spiders, or any similar data‑gathering, extraction, or monitoring technologies. Any attempt to circumvent normal browser‑based access, interfere with Site functionality, or use automated tools to retrieve or copy content is strictly prohibited and may result in suspension or termination of access under clause 1.5.
10. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES
The Site may contain hyperlinks to third‑party websites. These links are provided solely for your convenience. OECE does not endorse, recommend, guarantee, or make any representation regarding the content, accuracy, reliability, or security of any linked website. You access any third‑party website entirely at your own risk. OECE accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or consequence arising from your access to, use of, reliance on, or dealings with third‑party websites or third‑party providers.
Last Updated
21 July 2025
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For information on how OECE collects, uses, and protects personal information, please also refer to our Privacy Policy
