Licensed and certificated services
Services recognised by the Education Review Office have to be licensed or certified. They are not Government-owned in the way that state schools are.
Some are community-based and some are privately owned. This means there is a lot of variation in how these services are provided.
Centre-based, teacher-led services
These include:
kindergarten
education and care services – you may know these as daycare or preschool
puna reo
reo rua education and care
leo o fanau moana immersion
leo o fanau moana bilingual.
These services can be privately owned, or owned and operated by a community group. Some are based within a workplace or university for staff and students to use for their children. There are also teen parent units where parents can attend school while their children go to an associated early learning service.
Some services have a particular language and cultural focus. For example, puna reo are early learning services which promote te reo and tikanga Māori. Others have a specific set of beliefs about teaching and learning, for example, Rudolf Steiner and Montessori.
Sometimes, your child may be in a group of children of a similar age. In others, they will be with a mix of ages.
At least 50% of the adults who work with children at teacher-led services must be qualified early learning teachers, but some may have more than this.
To be licensed by us, all services must meet our standards for education and care, including health and safety, curriculum, premises and facilities, governance and management, and child protection.
Within these regulations, services can set their own rules about things like:
hours they are open for
numbers and ages of children they will cater to
daily routines
whether they will provide meals or ask you to pack lunch for your child.
Cost
Licensed early learning services receive government funding, but usually there is an additional cost for whānau | families.
Services set their own fee structures, so you'll need to check with the services you are interested in. Whānau-led centres like Playcentre or playgroups generally cost less than teacher-led centres.
Choosing a service
To find out more about the options available in your area you will need to check with individual services. This is because not all services even within the same group operate in exactly the same way.
For example, many kindergartens operate for a shorter day similar to school hours, but some offer full-day options.
Centre-based, teacher-led Māori-medium and Pacific bilingual and immersion services
These 4 service types were introduced in May 2025.
Te reo Māori is the principal language to talk to and teach mokopuna. It is used 81% or more of the time. It is expected that mokopuna in the service can interact freely in te reo Māori, without being instructed.
Te reo Māori is used at least 51% of the time to talk to and teach mokopuna. English is used as a temporary language. Not all mokopuna in the service are expected to interact freely in te reo Māori. They will be able do so when asked.
One Pacific language is the main way to talk to and teach children. It is used 81% or more of the time at the service. It is expected that children in the service can interact freely in this Pacific language, without being instructed.
One Pacific language is used at least 51% of the time to talk to and teach children. English is accepted as a temporary language. Not all children in the service are expected to interact freely in the Pacific language. They will be able to do so when asked.
Centre-based, parent and whānau-led services
‘Whānau-led' or 'parent-led’ means parents, whānau or caregivers are involved in educating and caring for the children, and managing the service. They include Playcentres, playgroups and kōhanga reo.
Families and whānau also have the opportunity to learn more about parenting, develop social and community networks and build greater confidence.
Tamariki in kōhanga reo are totally immersed in the Māori language, customs and values. Kōhanga cater to tamariki from birth to school age.
Te kōhanga reo is about whānau working together to revitalise and strengthen te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.
Playcentres cater for children from birth to school age. They are run cooperatively by parents and whānau. Playcentres receive government funding, but may charge a fee or ask for a donation to meet extra costs. They cost less to attend than other services.
Usually, you will stay with your child and take part in the session, but sometimes you can drop older children off for some sessions.
Playcentres are licensed and must meet the same standards for education and care as teacher-led services, but have different qualification requirements.
Playgroups are community-based groups run by parent and whānau volunteers. Sessions are held regularly. Some offer 1 session a week and some more. Children can go as many times a week as you like, but not for more than 4 hours per day.
They are often set up in community halls. To be a playgroup, more than half the children attending must have a parent there with them. There is often a small charge to attend.
Playgroups are not licensed. To receive government funding and support, they need to be certified. Parents and whānau who run the sessions receive information, support and training from us. Playgroups that are not certificated can open if parents stay with their tamariki, but they do not get government funding.
Ngā Puna Kōhungahunga are playgroups that provide learning in and through te reo and tikanga Māori. There are also playgroups in Pasifika languages and cultures.
Home-based education and care services
This is where a home educator looks after children in a private home. This could be their home, your home or another home. Home-based educators can have up to 4 children from birth to until they start school.
Each educator must belong to a home-based service, which provides support through a 'person responsible' who is a fully qualified early learning teacher. Educators must hold a home-based service qualification or within 6 months of joining a home-based service, be enrolled in a course offering a home-based service qualification.
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura)
Te Kura, formerly the Correspondence School, offers learning programmes for tamariki aged between 2 and 6 years who can't attend an early learning service or kōhanga reo.
Te Kura early learning educators work with parents, whānau and caregivers to meet a child's early learning needs. They also provide whānau who are based in New Zealand with books, puzzles, games and art materials to support your child's learning.
You need to meet certain criteria to enrol at Te Kura. This could be living far away from your nearest early learning service.
If you need help to enrol, you can contact the Education Review Office.