The 2025 ECE regulatory review - what centre managers need to know

The Ministry for Regulation's review of early childhood education (ECE) requirements is making waves across the sector. Touted as a way to reduce compliance complexity and improve outcomes for children, the review is particularly focused on streamlining licensing requirements, improving accountability, and clarifying service expectations.

Key changes under review

• Licensing simplification: Merging current service types into more flexible categories

• Policy standardisation: Reducing duplication and grey areas in compliance

• Strengthened quality assurance: Greater clarity around health and safety obligations

SchoolDocs is in favour of better support systems to help centres struggling with compliance – after all, the rules are hard to keep up with. We believe this starts with building greater trust between the sector and government bodies. We hope that creating new ways for centres to discuss and collaborate on concerns will lead to more positive outcomes for everyone.

How to prepare

Many centre managers are already overwhelmed with paperwork. This review may bring some relief in the long term—but creates uncertainty right now.

It's crucial to stay informed and proactive as information is released. You can set Google alerts, which will notify you when new announcements are made. And if you haven't already, sign up for Ministry updates and sector webinars from your industry association and groups like Te Rito Maioha.

Useful sources of information include:

Source	Type of information provided
Ministry for Regulation	Review reports, recommendations, consultation updates
Ministry of Education	Regulatory frameworks, licensing, implementation updates
Education Review Office (ERO)	Service reviews, sector performance, compliance monitoring
Beehive.govt.nz	Government decisions, ministerial announcements

How we can help

If the thought of another policy overhaul fills you with dread, let us handle it. Subscribing will give you all the policies you need to meet the early childhood education licensing criteria. And when the new regulations kick in, we do the research and the work to ensure your policies stay compliant. All you need to do is to participate in the review and take steps to ensure you practice matches your policy.

Join our waitlist and be first to hear about our launch later this year.