PF114 Dining facilities

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Criterion PF114 Guidance

Criterion PF114

There is a safe and hygienic place for children attending to sit when eating.

Guidance

How to show you are complying

You must have clean and safe places for children to sit while eating. This could be in a separate dining room, or existing tables and chairs in the activity space.

When choosing dining spaces, think about how many children you have, the layout of your service and any cultural needs.

For infants and toddlers, highchairs or low tables with small chairs work well—just make sure they’re supervised.

To keep things hygienic, clean table surfaces before meals with a diluted bleach solution or use washable covers. If you're using tables for other activities like art, covers can also help show children that it's now time to eat, not play. This helps with hygiene and sets clear routines for mealtimes.

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How we assess compliance

When assessing whether you comply with PF114

Questions we are likely to ask

Where do children sit when eating at your centre?
How do you clean and prepare eating surfaces?

We are likely to look at, measure or count

Look at the dining spaces used.
Look at the condition and cleanliness of tables, highchairs, mats, and seating areas.

Why this is important

A clean and safe place to sit while eating helps keep children healthy and supports supervision while they eat.

Best practice: Going beyond compliance

Doing more than the minimum helps make things better for children and easier for staff. Below are some ideas you can consider.

Create calm, social eating environments that support positive mealtime experiences. Involving children in setting up and tidying builds independence and helps children feel part of the routine.

Things to consider

When considering how to provide children with safe and hygienic places to sit while eating you might like to think about:

the ages and abilities of the children attending
the length of time children attend
the tikanga around serving and eating food and is what appropriate transition from activity to kai space.
any cultural or family considerations
how often children eat at your centre each day
if meals are scheduled or rolling
location of eating areas in relation to hand washing facilities
if clearing tables for meals will impact upon the programme
the philosophy that underpins the service
the kind of food provided, for example, food cooked at the centre or packed lunches brought by the children
the space available
whether the existing furniture is suitable
how food can be kept safe and hygienic while being consumed
service or organisational policies.

When eating outdoors as part of the day-to-day programme, plan for a clean, shaded space where food stays off the ground and children can be safely supervised.