The leading voice in the ECE sector

The Early Childhood Council is the largest body for childcare centre owners and managers in the sector; representing more than 1,300 centres across New Zealand. We support and encourage the provision of quality education and care services.

Our purpose

The Early Childhood Council supports members with professional development, events, expert advice, tools and resources, discounted products and services, and advocates for the early learning sector.

Just like the sector, our membership is diverse and comprises of community-owned centres, private centres, and voluntary groups from a range of locations across the country.

Become a member today and be part of a community that is committed to improving the learning and development outcomes of children in New Zealand.

Become a member

ECC Conference 2025: Igniting the Fire Within

Relive the highlights of this incredible event!

From 14–16 August, over 300 attendees came together in Rotorua for the ECC Conference 2025. This year’s theme, Igniting the Fire Within, celebrated the passion, purpose, and drive that fuels early learning in Aotearoa.

What Our Members Say About Us

“Testimonial text here from a real customer. Make it authentic and relevant to your audience"

Matthew Turner

“Testimonial text here from a real customer. Make it authentic and relevant to your audience"

Sarah Evans

“Testimonial text here from a real customer. Make it authentic and relevant to your audience"

“100% worth every cent, the support and information you can get from a membership with ECC is incredibly valuable”

Natasha

"The ECC is my go to first stop when I am faced with an unknown in ownership or challenge. My job would be so much harder without the support and resources provided through my ECC membership. Thanks a bunch!"

Alana

”I've been in the ECE industry for 10 years and an ECC member from the start. It's the best money I spend each year, and I recommend it to everyone. I don’t know what I’d do without ECC!”

Rhiannon

"ECC is very informative and have been my go to over the past 2-3 years, being new to management and having to learn everything from scratch with no hand over from previous manager! The tools, resources, PD, webinars and discussions have been very useful (and continue to be so)."

Tania

“We appreciate the hard work that has gone into developing policy templates and other tools that we can customise for use in our Aoga. We would recommend ECC membership for other Pacific ECE centres who would benefit from your services.”

Eirenei

"As a small centre owner and manager you cannot appreciate how wonderful it is to have definitive information about regulations and Government intiatives like those shared by ECC. Thank you for your amazing ongoing support and continued advocacy for our sector!"

Lynda

Events & Professional Development

The Early Childhood Council offers a range of online and in-person events for ECE professionals. These events cover professional development for all roles across the sector, informational webinars and networking opportunities to help you build connections.

Access all events through our platform partner ECE Learning Unlimited.

ECC Learning Centre

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News & Articles

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Progress to improve NZ’s child protection system welcomed

October 15th 2025The Early Childhood Council is welcoming the government’s new approach to the child protection system announced by Hon Louise Upston, saying the proposed changes will improve child safety while beiRead more

Learning-rich Leadership: A New Approach to Leadership in Early Childhood Education

September 29th 2025How can leadership drive high-quality education in early childhood services that are facing rapid change, diverse needs, and external pressures? We know there is a relationship between teacherRead more

Te Tupu o Te Tōrea: Innovation Rooted in Whakapapa, Whenua and Wellbeing

September 29th 2025When I look back at the journey that led to the creation of Te Tupu o te Tōrea, I begin at the Alten Road Centre. An old villa nestled among trees, it was warm, welcoming, and homely. Its presenceRead more

Light and Shadows: A Journey of Inquisition and Expression

August 29th 2025In early childhood education, following the lead of tamariki is key to fostering meaningful learning. Back in mid-February, I observed a growing curiosity about shadows among preschoolers in my centrRead more

Meet the ECC Executive: Danielle Fisher

August 27th 2025Hi, my name is Danielle Fisher, and I’ve dedicated the past 20 years to the world of early childhood education – a journey that has taken me from passionate teacher to a manager, regional leader,Read more

Sudden Closure due to suspected Black Mould

August 1st 2025In February this year a small community childcare centre based in Waitara reached out to ECC for help because they received a shock letter from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) terminating theirRead more

Move to one regulator a major turning point in ECE reform

July 31st 2025The proposal to make the Education Review Office the sole Early Childhood Education regulator is a massive change that should deliver much sought after clarity for the ECE sector, says the EarlyRead more

FamilyBoost majorly boosted – many more families will benefit from reduced childcare costs

July 7th 2025“Today’s announcement means more families can access support with their costs, and increase children’s ability to access quality childcare, potentially for longer than before for families whoRead more

Sensory Play in ECE

July 1st 2025Sensory play is not just about fun; it's a crucial part of early childhood education. It challenges our children and encourages them to use their senses to investigate and interact with theirRead more

He Wā Whakahirahira: Celebrating Matariki at Kimihia

July 1st 2025Guided by the values of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, ako, and wairuatanga, our aim was to honour this sacred time in a way that brought our whānau and wider learning community together not only toRead more

Why ECE Centres Need to be Audit-Ready

June 3rd 2025Over the last few years, the early childhood education (ECE) sector has seen a series of funding shifts — from temporary rule changes, to pay parity scales, to technology updates and changingRead more

Drains for Rains

May 30th 2025For us, this project was about teaching our tamariki about the effects of careless actions by humans on the world’s animals and environment and letting them see they can make a difference. How itRead more

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Membership with the Early Childhood Council unlocks a range of benefits for your service and its staff. Join more than 1,300 member centres in New Zealand and become a member today.

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