What a home-based education and care service is
Home-based education and care services are defined in section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020 as those that provide “education or care, for gain or reward, to children who are under the age of 5 years, or who are 5 years of age but not enrolled in school, in:
the children’s own home or
the home of the person providing the education or care or
any other home nominated by the parents of the children
and includes the provision of education or care to any child of the person providing the service who is:
under the age of 5 years or
5 years of age but not enrolled in school."
Education and Training Act 2020, section 10 – New Zealand Legislation
‘Gain or reward’ means that educators must be paid or receive some quantifiable benefit for the service they provide.
The use of volunteer or unpaid educators excludes the service provider from holding a licence as the service provider does not meet the definition of a home-based ECE service under the Education and Training Act 2020.
Section 19 of the Education and Training Act 2020 outlines the number of children who can be present in a home at any one time:
a licensed home-based education and care service may be provided to no more than 4 children per home
while children are participating in the service, the total number of children present in a home in which the service is provided (including those receiving the service) may not be more than 6 (aged 13 years or younger, excluding the educators’ own children who are enrolled at school).
Education and Training Act 2020, section 19 – New Zealand Legislation