Licensing criteria for kōhanga reo

Kōhanga reo run a total immersion te reo Māori whānau (family) programme for mokopuna (young children) from birth to six years of age to be raised within its whānau Māori, where the language of communication will be Māori.

The operation and decision making of each kōhanga reo are the responsibility of the whole whānau within the guidelines set down by Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board. The trust and the kōhanga reo whānau administer the kaupapa to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the mokopuna and the whānau and to ensure the survival of te reo Māori.

Kōhanga reo are currently chartered to Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust and licensed by the Ministry of Education under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008(external link)

The Ministry does not provide guidance for the kōhanga reo licensing criteria. Guidance is available upon request directly from Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.

Contact – Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust(external link)

A copy of the criteria can be downloaded from the right-hand column.

The licensing criteria were last updated in September 2022.

Sleep

  • HS9: Sleep monitoring
    • Health and safety practices criterion 9

      A procedure for monitoring children's sleep is displayed and implemented and a record of children’s sleep times is kept.

      Documentation required:

      1. A procedure for monitoring children's sleep. The procedure ensures that children:

      • do not have access to food or liquids while in bed; and
      • are checked for warmth, breathing, and general well-being at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs.

      2. A record of the time each child attending the service sleeps, and checks made by adults during that time.

      Rationale/Intent:

      The criterion aims to uphold the safety and wellbeing of children while they are sleeping, and minimise risk of harm. Requiring a documented procedure allows for parental input. Display ensures that all adults at the service are made aware of the procedure. Record-keeping requirements serve two purposes; a) to demonstrate compliance with the criterion; and b) to ensure that parents have access to important information about their child's sleeping patterns while at the service.

  • HS10: Cot spacing
    • Health and safety practices criterion 10

      § Furniture or items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) are arranged and spaced when in use so that:

      • adults have clear access to at least one side (meaning the length, not the width);
      • the area surrounding each child allows sufficient air movement to minimise the risk of spreading illness; and
      • children able to sit or stand can do so safely as they wake.
      Rationale/Intent:

      The criterion aims to ensure that sleeping provisions are arranged so that they do not present a hazard to children's safety and wellbeing.

  • HS11: Storage of sleeping provisions
    • Health and safety practices criterion 11

      § If not permanently set up, furniture or items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) and bedding is hygienically stored when not in use.

      Rationale/Intent:

      The criterion aims to prevent cross-infection by ensuring that sleep provisions used periodically (ie, not permanently set up) are hygienically stored when not in use.