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About licensing criteria#
Licensing criteria are part of regulatory framework for early childhood education and care services in Aotearoa New Zealand.
They are compulsory requirements that services must meet to be granted and keep a licence.
What is changing in 2026#
- Criteria have been renumbered for clarity.
- Criteria have updated wording, and in some instances have been removed or merged.
- There is a greater shift toward practice.
- Some criteria that was universal is now becoming more targeted.
April 2026: Licensing criteria comparison tables#
1 September 2026 changes#
From 1 September 2026, the Education Review Office (ERO) has responsibility for regulating early childhood education, including kōhanga reo and other licensed early learning services and certified playgroups. You can find a link to information and application forms on the ERO website.
The transfer of regulatory functions for early childhood education from the Secretary for Education in the Ministry of Education to the Director of Regulation in the Education Review Office, has been reflected in changes to the licensing criteria.
You can find a comparison table showing these changes below.
Download the guide#
We have developed a guide to give you an overview of the April 2026 changes here.
