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Make a Complaint

The Education Review Office (ERO) now handles all complaints about early childhood services.

Before you fill in the form opposite, please read How to Make a Complaint. It includes clear steps and an email template you can use if you want to contact ERO yourself.

If you don’t feel comfortable contacting ERO directly, we can send the complaint on your behalf. We will include your contact details so ERO can reach you if they need more information for their investigation. We will also ask ERO not to reveal your identity to the service unless you give permission.

If you want to be fully anonymous, simply uncheck the box opposite. This tells us not to pass your name or contact details to ERO.

What to include in your complaint

Please make sure the form opposite includes:

  • Your name and contact details
  • Service details (name and full address)
  • What the complaint is about and full details on what you saw, heard, or were told
  • Date(s) of the incident or issue
  • Where it happened
  • Names of people involved
  • The impact on your child, you, or others
  • Any evidence you can provide (photos, emails, medical notes, timeline, etc.)
  • What remedy or practical outcome you want
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Find Your Nearest and Best ECE Services

Zoom in (+) to your city or town on the map to find what licensed services are near you.

In the National Register, look up service names to get details, reviews, rating, and other information. Use the compare button on the services you are interested in to compare.

Find Out More

The Parents’ Choice Award

Celebrating the best for children and families

Outstanding in Every Way

The quality and differences a service makes are such that families want to shout from the roof-tops and tell us the great things about it. It follows the Ethical Conduct of Conduct and has had no recent licensing action taken against it.

Amazing Staff, Volunteers and Management

The team behind the wonderful service deserve to have their skills, caring, and hard work acknowledged publicly by winning this Award.

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My ECE early childhood education and childcare options for parents in NZ

Rules and Regulations

Read about the requirements all licensed early childhood services must comply with.

If your service isn’t meeting these, please speak up.

Have a conversation with the service manager or head teacher, if you feel comfortable to do so. Make a formal complaint using our complaint form or go directly to the Ministry of Education.

The regulations set out the very minimum standards for children’s safety, health, education and what government is prepared to fund for staffing and service operation. So, it is a serious matter if a service does not always meet at least these minimum requirements.

Regulations Early Childhood Education - Regulatory Requirements and licensing
Regulations, Rules, and ECE Service Legal Requirements
The "My ECE Guide to Early Childhood Service Regulations and Licensing Criteria for Parents." View the full guide here.
Show All Regulation Requirements

Topics and Issues Parents Most Need to Know

You don’t buy a car or house without asking questions and doing some background research, do you? You want to know as much as you can and about any warning signs. The same goes for choosing and using an early childhood service.

My ECE provides expert knowledge and straightforward information to allow parents to form their own opinions and be more confident to be involved in their child’s early education and care.

Below are 4 featured articles – you will find more under the “Guidance” tab (or use the Search function).

This land Aotearoa children's book reviews
Early Reading Resources and Children's Books
This Land Aotearoa has simple text and amazing images that take children on a journey across the stunning landscape of Aotearoa; with features described in…
How to read an Education Review Office report
Choosing an ECE Service: Checklists and Guides
Education Review Office reports explained “Emerging”. “Requires further development”. “Working towards”. These are the kinds of words used to describe how early childhood education services…
Daddy Monster ABC MyECE early childhood education picture book
Early Reading Resources and Children's Books
Daddy Monster ABC is a wonderful rhyme and rhythm alphabet learning and teaching children's picture story book. Dad chases his young child, with dressing up,…
babysitter safety and babysitting
Choosing an ECE Service: Checklists and Guides
Babysitting is not defined early childhood education, but many parents want to know about this option and some of the basic rules around who can…
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Join the Parents Council

Are you are parent, grandparent, or caregiver of a child under 6 years?    

Join the ECE Parents Council.   You will receive:

  • A monthly newsletter (free)
  • Survey invitations and notifications of important changes in ECE

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