Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is a one-year qualification for people who want to work with children from birth to five years in Australian early learning services. You study how children grow and learn, how to plan and run a play-based curriculum, and how to keep children safe and well. The course is practical from the start. You learn the regulations that govern early childhood services in Australia, including the National Quality Framework, and you practise the observation and documentation skills educators use every day to track what a child is learning and to share that with families.

How the course is structured

This is a diploma, so it sits above a certificate III on the Australian Qualifications Framework and below a bachelor degree. It is delivered over one year of full-time study, usually across two or three study periods rather than the longer semesters you would see in a three-year degree. You complete a set of units of study, each worth credit points, covering child development, curriculum planning, health and safety, working with families and cultural diversity, and legal and ethical requirements. The exact unit list and credit point values are set by the institute, so check the official course page for the current structure.

Work placement

Early childhood education is a hands-on field, so this diploma includes supervised professional experience in a registered early childhood service. You work alongside qualified educators, interact with children, help plan and lead activities, and complete assessment tasks while on placement. The placement hours are a required part of the qualification, and you need to meet them to graduate. Your host service must be approved by the institute, and you will need a Working with Children Check or equivalent clearance before you start. Placements are arranged by the institute in most cases, but confirm the process with them directly.

Who it suits and what you gain

This diploma suits people who want to work directly with young children and lead a room or a small team in a childcare centre, kindergarten or family day care setting. It also suits people already working in the sector who want to move into a more senior role. You come out with the skills to plan and deliver a curriculum that fits each child, to communicate with families, to follow and apply regulations, and to work safely and ethically. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Entry requirements, English proficiency levels and tuition are published on the CRICOS register and the institute's official page, so check there for the details that apply to you.

• Early childhood educator, work in long day care, preschool or kindergarten services, planning and delivering learning activities and supporting children's development.
• Room leader, take responsibility for a group of children and guide other educators in the room.
• Family day care educator, run a small early learning service from your own home, caring for a mixed-age group of children.
• Outside school hours care educator, work with primary school-aged children in before-school, after-school and vacation care programmes.
• Nanny or in-home carer, provide care and early learning in a family's home.
• Education support worker, assist in kindergartens and early learning centres attached to schools.

Australian employers in this field include long day care centres, community and council-run kindergartens, preschools, family day care schemes, outside school hours care services, and private nanny agencies. The qualification also gives you a pathway into further study, such as a bachelor degree in early childhood education, if you want to become a registered early childhood teacher.