INTERNATIONAL

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

CRICOS Code: 111782H
National Code: CHC50121

2025 start

Description

Further your career in early childhood education by gaining the skills and knowledge to become a team leader, director or educational leader in a range of education settings. Learn about cultural competence, health and safety, food and drink, respectful relationships, learning frameworks, holistic development, compliance, nurturing creativity, curriculum and workplace safety.

Award Course International

Duration (incl. holidays)

Semester(s)

Teaching Duration

Example Career Profile

Print Course Page

52 weeks

40 weeks

Child Care Educator

Locations & Applications

Please Read Before Applying

Attendance Requirements (subject to change)
Part time students attend one online evening class and one day of vocational placement a week. Tutorials are available each week during term.

Industry Conditions and Skills
You will need a reasonable level of fitness to physically care for infants and children and carry out manual handling and first aid. You will have an interest in working with children from birth to 6, awareness of the physical care needs of infants and children, the ability to communicate with children and diverse families, collaboration and teamwork skills and the ability to multitask, the ability to access information and use technology and good literacy to manage documentation. You will need a computer with a camera and reliable internet connection.

Additional Uniforms, Equipment and Costs
If you do not hold the following, a current Working with Children Check and Child Safe Environments certificate, you will be required to complete these and will be advised of the associated costs prior to registration.

Vocational Placements
You will need to complete vocational placement in a regulated early education and care service throughout the duration of the qualification. If you are not working in a regulated early education and care service, you will be placed by TAFE SA's Placement team. To make sure that you are able to be placed, you will need to provide the required clearances, documentation and certificates by the date advised.

Mandatory Requirements
You will require a current Working with Children check and a Safe Environments for Children and Young People certificate. If you do not have these checks and certificates you will not be able to commence your vocational placement. Individual Early Education and Care services may have their own policies on vaccination requirements. You may need to show evidence of vaccination.

Fees

Average cost per semester

Full Fee

Employment Outcomes & Skills Covered

Employment Outcomes

Team leader, assistant director, director, educational leader.

Note: Completion of a TAFE SA course does not guarantee an employment outcome. Formal requirements other than educational qualifications (eg licensing, professional registration), may apply to some occupations.

Qualifications & Skills Covered

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50121)
This qualification covers cultural competence, health and safety, food and drink, respectful relationships, learning frameworks, holistic development, compliance, nurturing creativity, curriculum and workplace safety. To complete the qualification you are required to complete all 12 core units and 3 elective units.

Course Units

Below is a list of all units that TAFE SA can offer in this qualification. The selection of elective units you will be enrolled into depends on the campus you attend, and the qualification packaging rules described on www.training.gov.au.

Not all elective units listed below must necessarily be completed to achieve your qualification.

Core

Name	Nominal Hours	Subject Code	National Code
Analyse information to inform children’s learning	75	MACML	CHCECE047
Embed environmental responsibility in service operations	73	MACMN	CHCECE049
Facilitate compliance in a children’s education and care service	110	MACMG	CHCECE044
Foster holistic early childhood learning, development and wellbeing	200	MACMF	CHCECE042
Foster positive and respectful interactions and behaviour in children	60	MACMH	CHCECE045
Implement strategies for the inclusion of all children	65	MACMK	CHCECE046
Maintain a safe and healthy environment for children	55	MACME	CHCECE041
Manage team effectiveness	60	FADEM	BSBTWK502
Nurture creativity in children	80	MACLH	CHCECE043
Plan and implement children’s education and care curriculum	180	MACMM	CHCECE048
Reflect on and improve own professional practice	120	CABDT	CHCPRP003
Work in partnership with children’s families	70	MACMP	CHCECE050

Elective

Name	Nominal Hours	Subject Code	National Code
Develop and implement policy	90	CABDS	CHCPOL002
Meet community information needs	70	CABDP	CHCINM002
Respond to grievances and complaints about the service	40	CACHW	CHCECE053

University Packaged Programs

If your goal is to achieve a bachelor degree in your chosen field of study, TAFE SA offers two different types of pathway to university - a University Packaged Program or Credit Transfer.

A University Packaged Program allows you to select the course and the university you wish to study at, before commencing your studies at TAFE SA.

This course is available as a University Packaged Program. This allows students to accept a joint packaged offer with a local South Australian University, and upon successful completion of TAFE SA qualification, the student is eligible for a guaranteed entry into a nominated University Program. Find out more about University Packaged Programs.

The table below shows current packages available for this course.

Institution	Course	Duration	Indicative Package Cost
	Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)	3 years	AUD$110,765

Credit Transfer

Studying at TAFE SA is one of the easiest pathways towards a University Degree. Credit Transfer is the formal recognition that parts of a TAFE SA course are equivalent in content and level to parts of some University courses. Below are the Credit Transfer details for this course. View all TAFE SA Credit Transfer Agreements

University Course	Total Units in Uni Course	Credits Granted	Guaranteed Admission
Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)	144	48
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Birth to 5 years)	108	36	Yes
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Birth to 8 years)	144	36	Yes
Bachelor of Early Childhood (B-5 years)	108	36
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Honours)	144	36

Living in Adelaide

The city created for students

You will never find another city like Adelaide. With welcoming locals, it is the perfect place for you to study, live and enjoy.

A student city

Adelaide is home to over 30,000 international students and has a strong and growing reputation as an education city. In addition to TAFE SA, Adelaide is home to six world-leading universities: The University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia, Flinders University, Carnegie Mellon University, Torrens University Australia and CQ University Australia.

Safe

Adelaide’s crime rates are the lowest in the country and for that reason, Adelaide has previously been named the safest city in Australia.

Beach Culture

Adelaide’s pristine sandy beaches are just a 20 minute tram ride from the city centre. On hot summer days, you can study in the day and take the tram to have dinner at the beach and watch the sunset with friends.

Live centrally

Accommodation is more affordable in Adelaide than in other cities in Australia making it often possible for students to live in the heart of the city or just outside. This means more time is spent studying and less time travelling.

Delicious!

Adelaide is known for its cafe culture, with more cafes and restaurants by population than any other city in Australia. In recent years, Adelaide has also developed a vibrant and varied bar scene. The city is big enough that you will struggle to visit all of the places you would like to drink and eat in during in your first year of study. Our mix of cultures means there’s likely to be a supermarket that sells food from your home country too.

Easy to get around

Adelaide is a flat city so it is ideal for walking or cycling. Its grid layout makes it almost impossible to get lost! There are free trams and buses around the city centre. International students can show their ID to get cheaper tickets.

Festivals

Adelaide is known for its festivals, which are famous around the world. WOMADelaide, the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Fringe Festival and Cabaret Festival are just some of the international arts and music festivals that keep the city buzzing

Everyone agrees – Adelaide is a great place to live and study

Adelaide is recognised as one of the world’s most liveable cities. In 2014, Lonely Planet’s Best of Travel book ranked Adelaide in the global top ten. For the last four years Adelaide has been ranked one of the most liveable cities in the world by The Economist Intelligence Unit.

Beautiful weather

Adelaide has four distinct seasons, with moderate winters and warm to hot summers. In winter you will need woolly jumpers and jackets and in summer, shorts and t-shirts. The heat in South Australia is dry, rather than humid.