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 covers child development, curriculum and pedagogy, health and safety, nutrition, behaviour guidance, working with families, and the legal and ethical rules that apply in early childhood settings. You also learn about the National Quality Framework and the Early Years Learning Framework, which shape how Australian services operate.

How the qualification is structured

The diploma sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework and is usually delivered over one year of full-time study. It is made up of units of competency, and each unit carries credit points. Providers often run the year across two or three study periods, so you may study in semesters or trimesters depending on the timetable. Assessment is practical as well as written. You build a portfolio of observations, learning stories, curriculum plans and reflections, and you complete a professional experience placement in a registered early childhood service. That placement is where you practise routines, group times, indoor and outdoor learning, and documentation under the supervision of an experienced educator.

Skills you gain

You learn to observe children closely and use those observations to plan experiences that match their interests and development. You practise setting up environments that encourage play, inquiry and independence. You learn to communicate with families, work in a team, follow service policies, and respond to incidents and emergencies. You also learn to support children with additional needs and to work respectfully with families from different backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities. By the end, you should be able to take responsibility for the care and education of a group of children within a service.

Who it suits

This diploma suits people who want to work directly with young children and may already have some experience in a childcare centre, family day care or school setting. It also suits career changers who want a practical, hands-on qualification they can use quickly. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is running, which many students use to gain experience in the sector. After you finish, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, depending on your circumstances and the visa rules at the time. Entry requirements, English proficiency, start dates and tuition are set by The Lions Institute, so check the official course page and the CRICOS register for the current details.

• Early childhood educator in long day care, preschool, kindergarten or family day care services.
• Room leader or lead educator responsible for planning and running a room.
• Outside school hours care educator working with primary school children before and after school and during holidays.
• Family day care educator running your own home-based service.
• Education support worker in early years settings, including inclusion support roles.
• Nanny or in-home carer employed by families.

These roles are found across Australia in privately run and community-managed early learning centres, preschools, kindergartens, occasional care services, and school-based outside school hours care programmes. The early childhood sector is one of the larger employers of diploma-qualified staff, and demand is steady in capital cities and regional areas. Some graduates go on to further study, such as a bachelor degree in early childhood education, which can lead to teaching registration and qualified teacher status.