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 learn how children grow and develop, how to plan and run a programme that matches what each child needs, how to keep them safe, and how to work with families and the wider community. The subject area is curriculum and instruction, so a lot of your time goes into observing children, documenting what you see, and using that to plan experiences that actually extend their learning.

How the course is structured

This is an AQF diploma, which sits between a certificate III and a bachelor degree. It is normally delivered over one year of full-time study, split into study periods such as semesters or trimesters. You complete a set of units of study, each with a credit point value, and you need to pass them all to graduate. The units cover child development, health and safety, legal and ethical requirements, working with families, and inclusive practice. Assessment is practical as well as written: you build a portfolio of observations and planned experiences, and you are assessed on your interactions with children.

Work placement

Work-integrated learning is a required part of this qualification, not an optional extra. You complete a supervised professional placement in a registered early childhood service, where you work alongside educators and take on increasing responsibility for the room. This is where you practise the skills you have been learning: setting up environments, guiding behaviour, responding to children's interests, and communicating with parents. Placement hours are set by the training package, and your provider organises the settings and supervises your progress.

Skills you gain

By the end you can plan and implement a curriculum that follows the Early Years Learning Framework, maintain a safe and healthy environment, support children with additional needs, and meet your obligations under the National Quality Framework and the Education and Care Services National Law. You also learn to work as part of a team, keep records, and talk to families about their child's progress. These are the skills employers look for when they hire room leaders and lead educators.

Who it suits

This diploma suits people who want to work directly with young children and take on more responsibility than a certificate III role allows. It is also a pathway for those who already hold a certificate III and want to move up, or for career changers who are ready to study full time for a year. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is running, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English requirements for entry are set by the provider; check the official page for the exact score and the Department of Home Affairs for the Student visa threshold. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 118588J.

• Early childhood educator in long day care, preschool and kindergarten services
• Room leader or lead educator responsible for a group of children and a team of assistants
• Family day care educator running your own approved home-based service
• Outside school hours care educator in before and after school programmes
• Inclusion support worker helping children with additional needs take part in mainstream settings
• Education support officer in kindergartens and early learning centres attached to schools

Australian employers in these roles include long day care centres, community preschools, integrated early learning services, family day care schemes, and not-for-profit and private providers. The diploma also gives you credit towards a bachelor degree in early childhood education if you decide to go on and teach.