Room ventilation, temperature, lighting, facilities, and storage
The ventilation, temperature, lighting, facilities, and storage facilities requirements for licensed early childhood services include:
- Hygienic facilities or alternative arrangements exclusively available for the preparation and cleaning up of paint and other art materials
- Easy to keep clean, durable, safe, and suitable floor surfaces for a range of activities including wet and messy play.
- Windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are made safe, e.g., made of safety glass, covered by safety film, and guarded by barrier
- Sufficient space for the safe storage of equipment and materials. Stored equipment and materials must be able to be easily and safely accessed by adults, and where practicable, by children.
- Kitchen and cooking facilities or appliances must be designed, located, or fitted with safety devices to ensure that children cannot access them without adult assistance or supervision.
- A telephone must be available at all times at the service for making calls to and from the service.
- Suitable facilities provided for washing sick or soiled children.
- Lighting appropriate to activities and purpose of each room.
- Nappy changing facilities (required in all centres but not required in home-based services unless children attend who wear nappies)
- At least 1 toilet that adults can use.
- At least 1 toilet in homes (children and adults may use the same toilet). At least 1 toilet for every 1-15 persons in centres. Persons are defined as anyone aged two years and older and teaching staff.
- At least one warm water tap and hand basin (in centres for up to 15 people of any age or part thereof).
- Ventilation natural or mechanical, allowing fresh air to circulate (particularly in sanitary and sleep areas).
- Safe and effective heating at no lower than 18 degrees Celsius (measured at 500mm above the floor) of all spaces used by children. (There is no legal maximum room temperature specified – however ECE services should ensure children’s health and safety so if adults feel that the temperature is excessively hot it will certainly be unsafe for children.)
Failing to meet minimum standards
The Ministry of Education needs to know:
- If you are concerned children’s needs are not being met.
- If you are concerned a service is not meeting a minimum legal requirement.
READ MORE: How to make a complaint and your options.
CAUTION: This page and the information here is provided as part of the My ECE Guide to Regulations and Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education Services (The Guide). The Guide does not purport to be a full and accurate interpretation of all statutory provisions relating to early childhood education services. While best efforts have been used in preparing this guide, no representations or warranties of any kind are made and My ECE assumes no liabilities of any kind with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the content. Please note that the Government and Ministry of Education may change, update, or alter any of the requirements at any time. Please help to keep the information on this page up to date by letting us know of changes that need to be made.
Thank you! Kia pai te rā
Reference:
Room Ventilation, Temperature, Lighting, Facilities, and Storage. Published in the My ECE Guide to Regulations and Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education Services, prepared by Dr Sarah Alexander and Warwick Marshall.
Last reviewed: 20 November 2022
