Licensing criteria for home-based ECE services

Section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020(external link) defines home-based ECE services as the provision of education or care, for gain or reward, to children who are under the age of 5 years, or who are aged 5 years but not enrolled at school, in:

  • the children’s own home; or
  • the home of the person providing the education or care; or
  • any other home nominated by a parent of the children.

These services are licensed in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020 under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008(external link), which prescribe minimum standards that each licensed service must meet. Licensing criteria are used to assess how the services meet the minimum standards required by the regulations.

For each criterion there is guidance to help services meet the required standards.

The publication of the criteria on its own can be downloaded as a PDF [PDF, 1.3 MB] and printed.

The licensing criteria were last updated in September 2022.

HS27 Children washed when soiled

  • Criteria
    • Criteria

      Health and Safety practices criterion 27

      Children are washed when they are soiled or pose a health risk to themselves or others.

      Rationale/Intent:

      The criterion aims to uphold the health and wellbeing of children by ensuring children who vomit or soil themselves are washed appropriately so that the risk of cross infection for both adults and children in at the service is reduced.

  • Guidance
    • Guidance

      Any examples in the guidance are provided as a starting point to show how services can meet (or exceed) the requirement. Services may choose to use other approaches better suited to their needs as long as they comply with the criteria.

      It might be necessary to wash a child:

      • at nappy change time – sometimes wipes are not enough
      • if a child has vomited over themselves or over another
      • if a child has had a toileting accident
      • if children become dirty during play.

      Washing practices should be consistent with the requirements of PF18 - body wash facilities.

      Consider the child’s need for privacy. Respectful interactions between the educator and child are important.

      Staff protection and child protection policies need to be kept in mind.

      Regional Public Health(external link) provides guidelines for washing soiled children including suggested spill kit contents.