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 directly with children from birth to five years in Australian early learning services. You learn how children grow and learn, how to plan and run a play-based curriculum, how to keep children safe and healthy, and how to work with families from many different backgrounds. The course covers child development, observation and assessment, inclusion and diversity, health and safety, and the legal and ethical rules that shape early childhood practice in Australia.

This diploma sits at the diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework. It is delivered over one year of full-time study, usually across two or three study periods depending on the provider's calendar. You complete a set of units of study, each with assigned credit points, and the total credit points make up the qualification. Assessment is practical: you plan learning experiences, document children's progress, and reflect on your own practice. Most diplomas in this field include a professional placement component, where you work in a registered early childhood service under supervision. Placement is where you put the theory into practice and build the hours you need for registration and employment.

Skills you gain include observing and recording children's learning, designing play-based experiences that match each child's stage, supporting children with additional needs, communicating with families, and following workplace health and safety and child protection requirements. You also learn to work as part of a team, manage routines, and keep accurate records. These are the day-to-day skills that employers in Australian early childhood services look for.

This course suits people who enjoy working with young children and want a hands-on qualification that leads to work fairly quickly. It also suits people already working in the sector who want to formalise their experience, or career changers who want to move into early childhood education. If you are an international student, you will need to meet English requirements, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for courses at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the provider's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances. Check the official CRICOS page and the provider's website for current details on entry requirements, placement arrangements and fees.

• Early childhood educator in long day care centres, preschools and kindergartens
• Room leader or lead educator in an early learning service
• Family day care educator running your own approved home-based service
• Outside school hours care assistant or coordinator
• Inclusion support worker helping children with additional needs take part in mainstream settings
• Nanny or in-home carer for families with young children

Australian industries that hire diploma-qualified early childhood educators include long day care, preschool and kindergarten services, family day care, outside school hours care, and community and not-for-profit children's services. Many graduates also go on to study a bachelor degree in early childhood education to become a registered early childhood teacher.