Need-to-know | Me mātua mōhio#
Fuel response update#
Early learning services are expected to be open as normal under New Zealand’s Fuel Response Plan Phase 1.
At this phase, service providers continue to make resourcing, staffing and operational decisions as usual, within existing government funding. Current resourcing parameters remain unchanged.
Fuel response planning
As part of the Government’s response, we are planning for Phases 3 – 4. We will share information with you regularly, including if response plan phases change.
The following may assist your planning and communications during the current phase:
- Guidance to support fuel response planning [PDF, 439 KB]
- Fuel shortage response plan template for Phases 1 – 2 [PDF, 700 KB]
Amendments to ECE regulations#
In September and October 2025, we consulted on proposed amendments to the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. Final amendment regulations have now been confirmed and will come into effect from 29 June 2026.
The amended regulations include new graduated enforcement tools to reduce the reliance on changing the status of a service provider’s licence to enforce compliance. This will cause fewer disruptions for services, children, parents and whānau.
Amendments have also been made to improve transparency for parents and whānau. These changes respond to findings from the Ministry for Regulation’s ECE Regulatory Review.
We will provide further information about these upcoming changes in future bulletin issues, before they come into effect from 29 June.
Heads-up | He kupu puaki#
Reminder: New licensing criteria comes into force#
The new licensing criteria comes into force on 20 April.
As noted in the previous bulletin, we have been updating our guidance for excursions and have provided some additional examples.
Clarifying guidance for excursions – Bulletin 2 April
The updated guidance is available here:
Sample enrolment agreement form#
When the amended ECE licensing criteria comes into effect on 20 April, the revised sample enrolment agreement form will be added to the ECE Funding Handbook at:
Appendix 2: Resources and examples
From 20 April, services should use this revised sample form for new enrolments and take the changes into account for future enrolments.
Services are not required to update or renew existing enrolment agreements using the revised sample form.
