Starting a home-based ECE service

This is a guide for service providers interested in establishing a licensed home-based education and care service.

Home-based service operating models

There are predominantly 2 different models of home-based education and care services operating in New Zealand:

  • A service provider employs or engages an educator as a contractor directly and then places them with a family or families.
  • A service provider brokers the relationship between educators and families. The families then employ or contract the educator directly.

Irrespective of the model used, service providers as the licence holders remain directly responsible for delivering education and care services in homes, in accordance with the regulations and licensing criteria.