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.
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Sleep criteria:
In this section
PF29 - Design of sleep provisions
PF30 - Mattress coverings
PF31 - Bedding
PF32 - Sessional over 2 sleep space
PF33 - All-day over 2 sleep space
PF34 - All-day over 2 sleep furniture/items
PF35 - Sessional under 2 sleep space
PF36 - Sessional under 2 cot:child ratio
PF37 - All-day under 2 sleep space
PF38 - All-day under 2 child:cot ratio
45 Premises and facilities standard: general(1) The premises and facilities standard: general is the standard that requires every licensed service provider to whom this regulation applies—
(a) to use premises and facilities that, having regard to the number and age range of the children attending the premises, provide sufficient and suitable space for a range of activities, facilities for food preparation, eating, sleeping, storage, toileting, and washing, and sufficient and suitable heating, l…
Sleep criteria:
In this section
HS9 - Sleep monitoring
HS10 - Sleep furniture spacing
HS11 - Storage of sleep furniture and bedding
46 Health and safety practices standard: general(1) The health and safety practices standard: general is the standard that requires every licensed service provider to whom this regulation applies to—
a. take all reasonable steps to promote the good health and safety of children enrolled in the service; and
b. take all reasonable precautions to prevent accidents and the spread of infection among children enrolled in the service; and
c. take all reasonable steps to ensure that the premises, facil…
