Licensing criteria for centre-based ECE services

Section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020(external link) defines an early childhood education and care centre as a premises that is used regularly for the education or care of 3 or more children (not being children of the persons providing the education or care or children enrolled at a school who are being provided with education or care before or after school) under the age of 6 years by day (or part of a day) but not for any continuous period of more than 7 days.

Centre-based ECE services have a variety of different operating structures, philosophies and affiliations, and are known by many different names – for example, Playcentres, early learning centres, Montessori, childcare centres, Kindergartens, crèches, preschools, a’oga amata, Rudolf Steiner etc.

These centres are licensed in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020 under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008(external link), which prescribe minimum standards that each licensed service must meet. Licensing criteria are used to assess how the centres meet the minimum standards required by the regulations.

For each criterion there is guidance to help centres meet the required standards.

The publication of the criteria on its own can be downloaded as a PDF [PDF, 1.8 MB] and printed. 

The licensing criteria were last updated in September 2022. 

 

Appendix 3: Categories of medicine for criterion HS28

Category (i) medicines

Definition - a non-prescription preparation (such as arnica cream, antiseptic liquid, insect bite treatment spray etc) that is:

  • not ingested;
  • used for the 'first aid' treatment of minor injuries; and
  • provided by the service and kept in the first aid cabinet.

Authority required - a written authority from a parent given at enrolment to the use of specific preparations on their child for the period that they are enrolled. The service must provide (at enrolment, or whenever there is a change) specific information to parents about the Category (i) preparations that will be used.

Category (ii) medicines

Definition - a prescription (such as antibiotics, eye/ear drops etc) or non-prescription (such as paracetamol liquid, cough syrup etc) medicine that is:

  • used for a specific period of time to treat a specific condition or symptom; and
  • provided by a parent for the use of that child only or, in relation to Rongoa Māori (Māori plant medicines), that is prepared by other adults at the service.

Authority required - a written authority from a parent given at the beginning of each day the medicine is administered, detailing what (name of medicine), how (method and dose), and when (time or specific symptoms/circumstances) medicine is to be given.

Category (iii) medicines

Definition - a prescription (such as asthma inhalers, epilepsy medication etc) or non-prescription (such as antihistamine syrup, lanolin cream etc) medicine that is:

  • used for the ongoing treatment of a pre-diagnosed condition (such as asthma, epilepsy, allergic reaction, diabetes, eczema etc); and
  • provided by a parent for the use of that child only.

Authority required - a written authority from a parent given at enrolment as part of an individual health plan, or whenever there is a change, detailing what (name of medicine), how (method and dose), and when (time or specific symptoms/circumstances) the medicine should be given.