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How to make a complaint
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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.

Find Out More

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

Regulations and Licensing Criteria: A Guide for Parents

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).

After Your Child has Started - Care, Health, Safety & Education Issues

Danger of Adult-sized Furniture, especially Chairs, in ECE centres

Furniture that’s adult-sized, especially chairs, is a hazard in ECE centres © myECE.org.nz. Parent Support and Information. * This article was published in May 2018 following…

Options for Parents: The Range of ECE Services and Help Available

Taking Your Child to Work

When childcare isn't available, or because you can and it saves money, taking your child to work with you is something you could consider doing.…

intoxicated child drunk hand sanitiser alcohol

After Your Child has Started - Care, Health, Safety & Education Issues

Drunk Child: Alcohol Intoxication in Early Childhood Education and Care

Drunk Child: Alcohol Intoxication © myECE.org.nz. Parent Support and Information. Finding your child drunk is the last thing any parent expects to happen when their child…

complaints procedure and regulations in early childhood centres and home-based

Making a Complaint, Raising Concerns, or Reporting a Serious Incident

How to Make a Complaint or Raise Concerns

Get action taken on a problem and make sure it doesn't continue to happen or affect other children and families.