PF129 All-day services: under 2 cot-to-child ratio

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Criterion PF129 Guidance

Criterion PF129

A designated space is available for children under the age of 2 to have restful sleep. This space is designed and located to:
- minimise fluctuations in temperature, noise and lighting levels and
- allow adequate supervision.
There is at least 1 sleep furniture or item (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) for every 2 children under the age of 2.

Guidance

How to show you are complying

You need to designate a specific space for children aged under 2 to sleep. This should either be a separate room or a quiet part of the service. To enable restful sleep, the space should be warm and capable of managing any changes in noise and light.

Adults must be able to see and access sleeping children easily to adequately supervise.

If you have a separate room, it should be close enough to the main activity areas or have features like viewing windows to support visibility.

The sleep area must have suitable furniture for rest, like cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses, with at least 1 piece for every 2 children.

You should check this against the number of under-2s on your licence to make sure you meet this requirement.

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How we assess compliance

When assessing whether you comply with PF129

Questions we are likely to ask

Where do children under the age of 2 sleep? How does this area support restful sleep?
What sleep furniture do you have available for children aged under 2?
How do you minimise changes in temperature, noise and lighting levels to enable restful sleep for children aged under 2?
How do you supervise children in the under 2 sleep area?

We are likely to look at, measure or count

Look at the designated sleep space for children aged under 2.
Look at what steps have been taken to minimise fluctuations in temperature, noise and lighting levels.
Look at how visible is the designated sleep area, and how does this affect the ability to supervise children adequately.
Count to see there is enough suitable sleep furniture for the number of children aged under 2 in the service.

Why this is important

To support restful sleep, children under the age of 2 need a safe and comfortable space during their time at the service, which is important for their wellbeing and development.

Best practice: Going beyond compliance

Doing more than the minimum can shape better outcomes for children. Here are some ideas or examples you might like to consider.

Sleep space for children under the age of 2

You may find it useful to talk to parents and whānau about the designated sleep space to make sure it meets children’s needs. By listening and adapting to feedback, you can show that you value each child and whānau in the service. This is important because sleep spaces and routines may vary between different cultures.

Mixed-age services may choose to use the sleep space for children of all ages, not just those under two. This helps create a consistent and restful environment for everyone.

Furniture

If cots are used, the gaps between the bars should be between 50mm and 95mm wide. Ideally, they would be closer to 50mm to prevent entrapment.

Promoting safe and supportive sleep supervision practices

To ensure the highest standards of child safety and wellbeing, sleep room supervision should be supported by proactive and team-based approaches:

work together to maintain a safe environment, with regular rotation to support engagement and reduce fatigue
promote transparency and accessibility by making sure sleep rooms are easily observable from other areas, such as through windows or open doors.