CONTENTSA hospital-based education and care service is defined in Section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020 as the provision of education or care to 3 or more children under the age of 6 who are receiving hospital care.
Section 10, Education and Training Act 2020 – New Zealand Legislation
ECE services operating from hospital premises that provide education and care to siblings of patients or children of hospital staff or patients are centre-based ECE services, not hospital-based ECE services.
Licensing criteria for centre-based ECE services
Hospital-based education and care services are licensed in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020 under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, which prescribe the minimum standards each licensed service must meet.
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 – New Zealand Legislation
To gain and keep a licence, hospital-based education and care services must demonstrate that they meet these requirements. The licensing criteria are secondary legislation and are used to assess how services meet the minimum standards required by the regulations.
There are no licensing criteria for the qualifications, ratios and service size standard. Compliance with this standard is assessed directly against the requirements set out in the schedules to the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
You can find a copy of the licensing criteria to download or print below.
The licensing criteria were last updated on 1 September 2026. The changes reflect 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.
You can find a comparison tables showing these changes below.
You can find information on the prescribed curriculum framework you must follow on our website.
From 1 September 2026, the Education Review Office (ERO) is responsible for licensing and regulating early childhood education services. You can find guidance on how to demonstrate compliance with licensing criteria as well as how to apply for a licence on the ERO's website.
