Emergencies and traumatic incidents at a service

We can help you plan for emergencies, and support you during an emergency or traumatic incident.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Required

  • All early learning services
  • Service managers
  • Parents, caregivers and whānau

All early learning services must have written emergency plans.

Funding for emergencies

If you need to close your service in the case of an emergency, you may be eligible to receive funding.

7-5 Emergency closure section – ECE Funding Handbook 

How we can help 

We can help you develop an emergency plan. For support, email emt@education.govt.nz.

Our support is also available during an emergency or traumatic incident. Our staff, including those at your local Ministry office, can work alongside your traumatic incident or management teams.

Local Ministry offices

Licensing criteria

See the emergency preparation licensing criteria:

Centre-based services

Home-based services

Ngā kōhanga reo

Hospital-based services

Playgroups

Important resources

If you work in early learning, you should be familiar with these resources to plan, prepare and react to emergencies and traumatic incidents.

The Get thru website provides resources to prepare your service for an emergency.

Get thru website(external link)

The Civil Defence website has a best-practise guide for developing a practical emergency plan.

Best-practise guide – Civil Defence website(external link)

The Ministry of Education has also created a framework to help you develop your own emergency plan.

Emergency plan

Cyclone Gabrielle

We will continue to provide information here to support those affected by cyclone Gabrielle.

Early Learning Bulletin(external link)

Funding settings(external link)

Emergency management checklist [DOCX, 130 KB]

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