Running a service

Links to information and resources about running your early learning service.

Starting an early learning service

You need to plan effectively before you start a new early learning service. To find out how to begin, see our guidance on starting a service.

Starting a service

Emergencies and traumatic incidents

The resources on this page will help your team know what to do in an emergency or traumatic event.

This page includes a checklist to ensure your service is prepared.

Emergencies and traumatic incidents

Voluntary temporary closure of an early learning service

If your service is unable to operate for a short period of time, it might need to close for a period of time. Find out when an early learning service can temporarily close and the administration process your staff will need to follow.

Closing a service temporarily

Sharing information

Learn more about your legal obligations under the Privacy Act 2000, Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 and the Family Violence Act 2018 for sharing information.

Sharing information

Complaints in early learning

This page provides information about what you can expect from the Ministry of Education when a complaint is made about a licensed or certificated early learning service.

Complaints in early learning

Media enquiries

Enquiries from the media can be daunting, especially if you do not deal with them very often.

If you get an enquiry from the media, contact your regional education office in the first instance.

If we get a media query about your service, we will make our best efforts to let you know about it, and how we are responding to it.

  • Most media requests need a same-day response and we work hard to meet this deadline.
  • Media stories sometimes begin with a general issue and later develop to focus on a particular service.
  • We might be asked under the Official Information Act for information about large numbers of early learning services. In these cases, we will let you know if your service will be specifically or particularly impacted.

Our aim is to support early learning services, their children, young people, their parents and communities. The more responsive we all are, the better our chance of increasing public understanding of, and confidence in, the education system and the work you do.

Protection from risk of cyber security attack

The education sector is not immune to cyber attacks and there are New Zealand services that have already been severely impacted.

To learn about actions that you can take to strengthen your ICT systems and reduce the risk of threat to your service, see our information on cyber security.

Cyber security

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