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 centres, kindergartens and preschools. You will study how children grow and learn, how to plan and run a play-based curriculum, how to keep children safe, and how to work with families from many different backgrounds. The course mixes classroom study with long blocks of supervised placement in a real service, so you spend time in the room with children, not just reading about them.

How the course is structured

As a diploma, this sits at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework. It is normally delivered over one year of full-time study, split into two or three study periods depending on the college calendar. You enrol in units of study, each with a set credit point value, and you need to pass all of them to graduate. There is no separate honours year at diploma level. Some providers offer part-time or online study, but the placement component is always face-to-face in an approved early childhood service.

What you actually study

Core units cover child development, curriculum planning, health and safety, nutrition, legal and ethical requirements, and working in partnership with families. You learn to observe children, document their learning, and use those observations to plan experiences that match each child's stage. You also study how to support children with additional needs and how to work within the National Quality Framework and the Early Years Learning Framework. Assessment is a mix of written tasks, practical demonstrations and placement reports signed off by a workplace supervisor.

Work placement and skills

Work-integrated learning is a required part of the diploma. You complete a minimum number of hours in a regulated early childhood service, supervised by qualified educators. During placement you take part in routines, interact with children, set up experiences, and reflect on your practice. By the end you should be able to plan and deliver a program, manage a group of children safely, communicate with families, and work as part of an educator team. These are the skills employers look for when hiring room leaders and assistants.

Who this suits

This diploma suits school leavers who want a practical start in early childhood, career changers who want to work with young children, and people already working in the sector who need a formal qualification to move into a qualified educator or room leader role. English requirements for international students are set by the college and by the Department of Home Affairs for the student visa. Check the official CRICOS entry for this course code and the college's own page for current fees, intake dates and English evidence accepted.

• 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 in primary school settings.
• Education support worker in inclusive early childhood programs.

These roles are found across Australia in private and community-owned childcare centres, not-for-profit services, local government kindergartens, and school-based early learning centres. The qualification also gives you a pathway into a bachelor degree in early childhood education if you want to become a registered teacher.