Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
CHC50125
Prepare for a rewarding career as a qualified early childhood educator with the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50125).
This nationally recognised qualification will equip you with the advanced skills needed to nurture, teach, and guide young children through their vital early years of learning and development. This Diploma is recognised by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and is listed in their National Quality Framework.
You’ll gain the knowledge and practical experience to design, implement, and evaluate educational programs for children from birth to five years. Graduates of this qualification are in high demand across childcare centres, preschools, and early learning settings.
Enrol now to study the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care online with AIPC, supported by experienced trainers and a dedicated student support team.
Entry to this qualification is open to individuals who hold:
CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care OR
CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Alternatively, individuals may hold:
An Australian diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care OR
An Australian diploma or certificate III in Children’s Services. AND
Demonstrate at least 12 months of cumulative employment (full-time equivalent) within the last 5 years in a regulated education and care service in Australia, supported by verifiable evidence. OR
Hold the CHCSS00147 Entry into Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.
Reduced Upfront (and enjoy a substantial discount).
Take advantage of our Fortnightly or Monthly Payment Plans
Pay via Credit Card or Direct Debit
Our Student Support Centres are located in:
Brisbane
Sunshine Coast
Gold Coast & Northern Rivers
Sydney
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
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Course Recognition
Why study our Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Studying with AIPC means you’ll gain both the theoretical and hands-on experience required to confidently lead and support early learning environments. You’ll learn to design educational programs, manage compliance, foster inclusion, and guide teams of educators to deliver high-quality care and education. With this qualification, you’ll be ready to take on leadership or management roles in the early childhood education sector.
Career ready
When you graduate, you’ll be well prepared to step confidently into a rewarding role in education, care, or community support. Our courses are designed with strong links to industry, giving you the skills and confidence employers value most.
Extremely applicable
Our Education and Care qualifications are highly relevant for people from all walks of life. Whether you’re starting a new career or building on existing experience in childcare, education, or support services — these courses offer practical skills that make a difference every day.
Caring education specialists
We believe you’re better off learning from a specialist than a generalist. While many providers offer a wide range of unrelated courses, we focus on developing caring professionals through quality education and training in the human services sector.
Flexible learning
We understand that balancing study with work, family, and life can be challenging. That’s why our courses are designed to offer flexible, supported learning — so you can study from home, progress at your own pace, and achieve your goals your way.
Career ready
When you graduate, you’ll be well prepared to step confidently into a rewarding role in education, care, or community support. Our courses are designed with strong links to industry, giving you the skills and confidence employers value most.
Extremely applicable
Our Education and Care qualifications are highly relevant for people from all walks of life. Whether you’re starting a new career or building on existing experience in childcare, education, or support services — these courses offer practical skills that make a difference every day.
Caring education specialists
We believe you’re better off learning from a specialist than a generalist. While many providers offer a wide range of unrelated courses, we focus on developing caring professionals through quality education and training in the human services sector.
Flexible learning
We understand that balancing study with work, family, and life can be challenging. That’s why our courses are designed to offer flexible, supported learning — so you can study from home, progress at your own pace, and achieve your goals your way.
Course Outline
Manage and promote diversity *
Learn how to foster a culture of inclusion and respect within the workplace. This unit develops skills to value individual differences and create equitable environments for children and staff.
Maintain a safe and healthy environment for children*
Gain the skills to ensure children’s safety, wellbeing, and hygiene in early learning settings. You’ll learn to identify hazards, manage risks, and maintain safe environments.
Foster positive and respectful interactions and behaviour in children*
Learn how to promote positive behaviour and build respectful, nurturing relationships with children through supportive communication and role modelling.
Implement strategies for the inclusion of all children*
This unit focuses on adapting programs and environments to meet the diverse needs of all children, including those with additional needs.
Analyse information to inform children’s learning*
Develop skills to collect, interpret, and use observations and data to plan meaningful learning experiences that enhance development.
Foster holistic early childhood learning, development and wellbeing *
Understand how to nurture all aspects of a child’s growth — cognitive, physical, emotional, and social — through engaging learning experiences.
Nurture creativity in children *
Explore how to inspire creativity and self-expression in children through art, music, storytelling, and play-based learning.
Embed environmental responsibility in service operations*
Learn how to promote sustainability and environmental awareness within early childhood education and care services.
Work in partnership with children’s families*
Gain strategies to build strong partnerships with families, supporting open communication and collaborative approaches to a child’s learning journey.
Plan and implement children’s education and care curriculum*
Develop the skills to design, deliver, and evaluate curriculum programs aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework.
Manage team effectiveness*
Learn to lead and support teams of educators, enhancing communication, performance, and collaboration in the workplace.
Facilitate compliance in a children’s education and care service*
Gain knowledge of legislative and regulatory requirements and how to maintain compliance within childcare services
Develop and implement policy*
Learn how to create and apply workplace policies that support best practice and align with organisational and sector standards.
Research and apply evidence to practice
Build the ability to use current research and evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for children and families.
Reflect on and improve own professional practice *
Develop reflective techniques to assess your own performance and continuously improve your professional skills.
Work Placement – Minimum of 280 hours of work placement
This mandatory work placement provides real-world experience in an early learning environment, allowing you to apply theory into practice under professional supervision.
Units marked with an * require completion of a work placement. The work placement involves an average of 12 hours per week in the workplace with some time spent at home completing activities that contribute to assessment.
An Assessment Book is completed for each topic, and a work placement are completed as part of this course.
The information included in this Course Outline is indicative of the final curriculum but may not necessarily contain all units necessary for completion of the course. All assessment that you complete throughout your studies will contribute to your final award. Industry regularly reviews this qualification and the Institute is required to incorporate any changes specified during this review process. Any changes, upgrades or expansions to the curriculum will be instigated in such a way that your studies are affected as little as possible.
Progress through your course is achieved by completing each unit’s assessment book, and a work placement. Please contact your Student Support Centre if you have any questions about the requirements to complete your course.
You can study your course on a full-time, part-time, or self-paced basis. Indicatively, full time study of the course will take approximately 12 months. You have up to five (5) years from the date of your enrolment to complete your course.
At AIPC we have a payment method to suit every student. If you decide to pay for your course upfront you will enjoy a substantial discount, and you can concentrate on your studies without thinking about further payments. If you would prefer to spread your payments, you can take advantage of our fortnightly or monthly payment plans.
We always strive to keep tuition as affordable as possible, opening up quality education for everyone.
Course* | Reduced Upfront Payment | Fortnightly Payments** | Monthly Payments** |
|---|---|---|---|
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care | $4,990 | $147.50 | $295 |
**Fortnightly/Monthly payments can be made by Credit Card or Direct Debit.
For over 30 years, AIPC has set the benchmark for service and support in education. We offer a complete external study support system that has been developed and refined over decades of research and continual student feedback.
Unlimited access to the Institutes Toll Free 1300 Study Assistance Line, 9am to 5pm EST Monday to Friday.
The structure of the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care ensures you graduate with sufficient practical skill so you can apply your knowledge with confidence.
Students can elect to complete the practical components through alternate means, such as a one-on-one or small group session with a private assessor. We have private assessors in numerous regional areas across Australia.
Students can also complete their practical components by video recording a demonstration of their skills. We have guidelines available to assist students compile their recordings and develop effective role plays to demonstrate their skills.
The Institute website is an extremely helpful study resource. Via the website you can access the My.AIPC Student Portal which is your link to numerous study support and e-learning functions. You can:
Download electronic versions of your workbooks
Complete your activities and upload for marking
Contact an Online Education Adviser for study assistance
Access the Knowledge Base, a massive database of the most commonly asked academic questions, categorised for particular subjects, activities and concepts
See when seminars are available in your area
Plus much more.
Request a Course Guide
Please complete this form and we will respond within 24 working hours.
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30-day money-back guarantee.
If you're not satisfied we'll give you your money back.
Zero Risk
Your enrolment comes with a guarantee that empowers you to enrol risk-free. If, for any reason whatsoever you decide you do not want to proceed with your course within 30-day, we will give you a 100%, no questions asked, money back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is a great match for educators who already work with young children and want to lead their own rooms. You’ll need a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care to apply, or a related children’s services qualification with at least a year of recent work in a regulated service. The course also includes 280 hours of placement, so it works best if you’re already in a service or can arrange one.
You’ll learn to design educational programs for children from birth to five years, then run them and evaluate their effectiveness. The course’s 15 units cover how to manage compliance in a service, promote diversity among children and staff and guide a team of educators. The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care covers supporting children’s learning, while this diploma covers planning it.
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care qualifies you to work as an educator supporting children’s learning. This diploma qualifies you to plan the programs and lead the team delivering them. You’ll see this most clearly in the number of placement hours, as the diploma requires 280 compared to 160 for the Certificate III. Regulations require every service to employ a minimum number of diploma-qualified educators, which is why the diploma opens senior roles a Certificate III doesn’t.
Anywhere in Australia, since we deliver the course fully online. Full-time study takes a year, and you have up to five years from enrolment if you need longer. Part-time and self-paced study suits educators who are already working in a service. You’ll spend your 280 placement hours in an early learning environment, at an average of 12 hours a week.
You’ll learn the whole cycle, from designing a program to evaluating whether it worked. Because the course covers children from birth to five, you’ll plan for infants, toddlers and preschoolers rather than one age group. Your placement is where you put it into practice, running activities you’ve planned under supervision. An experienced educator watches and gives you feedback as you go.
You’ll learn to guide a team of educators and take responsibility for the quality of care your service delivers. Managing compliance is part of that, as is promoting diversity and making sure both children and staff are treated fairly. When you lead a room, the educators in it need your support as much as the children do. The course covers how to mentor less experienced staff and keep a team working to the same standard.
Definitely. Diploma-qualified educators move into room leader and centre director roles that a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care doesn’t qualify you for. The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) recognises the diploma and includes it in the National Quality Framework. Early childhood education and care services are required to have diploma-qualified educators within their staffing mix, making this a valuable qualification for roles with greater responsibility.
Children from birth to five years. You’ll learn to design and evaluate programs across that whole range, so you’ll plan for infants, toddlers and preschoolers rather than specialising in one group. A two-year-old and a four-year-old need very different things from an educator, and the course teaches you to account for that. Your placement gives you experience with whichever ages your service works with.
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