Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

The CHC50121 is the ACECQA-approved diploma that qualifies the holder to work as a lead educator or service director in long day care, pre-schools, family day care and outside school hours care. Core units include leading children's learning programs under the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF v2.0), establishing and maintaining a safe and healthy environment, supporting children's emotional and psychological wellbeing, working in partnership with families, embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, managing legal and ethical compliance, and leading work teams. You also study the National Quality Standard (NQS) self-assessment, Quality Improvement Plans (QIP) and the Education and Care Services National Law.

Most students study full-time over 18 to 24 months or part-time over 24 to 36 months. Around 900 to 1,200 hours of formal training plus a mandatory minimum 280 hours of work placement in an ACECQA-approved service. Theory and practical split roughly 50/50. Many students do the course as a paid traineeship through Goodstart, G8 Education or council-run services.

Minimum 280 hours of supervised work placement is required in an ACECQA-approved early childhood education and care service. Most students are concurrently employed under the Children's Services Award. Fair Work Commission's Aged and Childcare Work Value case decisions drove wage increases for educators from 2024 to 2026.

After the Diploma you can progress to a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) or Bachelor of Education (Birth to 5) at ACU, QUT, Charles Sturt, Macquarie and many other unis with significant credit toward a three or four-year degree. Bachelor degree completion plus teacher registration with the relevant state Teacher Registration Authority is required for early childhood teacher status under the NQS. Many graduates take on service director or area manager roles after several years post-Diploma.