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CHC50121

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

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Course Description

Become a valued part of the early childhood education with the CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

  • If you’re working in early childhood and want to apply for a Centre Coordinator or Director role, this course will qualify you for the next step in your career.
  • As someone already qualified in childhood education and care, you’ll start with developing your management and communication skills, understanding of legal and ethical frameworks, and then focus on childcare principles, and advanced education practices.

During your studies you will learn how to:

  • Develop and implement workplace policies and procedures for sustainability
  • Undertake a structured process to reflect on and improve your professional practice
  • Manage the effectiveness of your work team
  • Contribute to, facilitate, and monitor learning and development for teams and individuals
  • Use strategies to foster and promote diversity in your work practice
  • Design, implement, and evaluate plans to enhance environmental responsibility
  • Facilitate self-assessment and develop quality improvement plans
  • Examine policies and procedures and document how risks are assessed

If you are an existing worker or have experience in the related industry, please inform our enrolment consultants during your enrolment conversation. You may be eligible to enrol as an existing worker and complete your studies faster. Please note - limitations do apply.

Potential career outcomes

  • Assistant Director/Director in a Childcare centre/Area Manager
  • Childcare Supervisor
  • Early Childhood Teacher (for those holding Primary Teaching Qualifications)
  • Family Day Care Educator or Area Coordinator
  • Lead Educator
  • Outside of School Hours Care Coordinator
  • Support worker for a child with additional needs

Course Details

Course number E1407
Qualification name CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Course duration Self paced - maximum of 24 months
Delivery Method Online with Work Placement (via OpenSpaceX)
Recognition Nationally Recognised Nationally Recognised Training
Assessments Multiple choice Quiz, Projects, Role plays, Video, Work Placement, Written assessments
Awarded by Open Colleges Pty Ltd (Provider number: 90796)

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Students must hold one of the following qualifications

  • CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care or
  • CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

They must be able to provide a transcript showing that the qualification has been completed in full before their enrolment can be finalised.

It is also recommended that students

  • Are 18 years old (note: students under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to enrol)
  • Have access to a modern computer with high-speed internet
  • Have access to Microsoft office or equivalent · Have basic computing skills, including the ability to make a short video and participate in live streaming

Equipment and tools

Students will need a device to take pictures, record video, and conduct livestream.

While not necessary, it is recommended that students have access to a laptop to take to their host facility, so that they are able to complete assessment documents during placement.

While it is not required the following reading is recommended as part of the course:

  • Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings by Leonie Arthur, Bronwyn Beecher, Elizabeth Death, Susan Dockett, Sue Farmer
  • The Early Childhood Educator for Diploma by Lorraine Walker

Minimum age

You will need to be at least 18 years old.

Physical Requirements

Students will need to be reasonably physically fit, as the role of an educator involves a variety of tasks that require a reasonable amount of physical activity, such as personal care of children, and cleaning. Some lifting of children and equipment is also required. Students should be suitably fit to undertake this manual lifting.

Language, Literacy and Numeracy

Our free online assessment tool can help give you an idea of the language, literacy and numeracy skills needed to study a VET course. This tool can also help you determine your learning level and help you plan your future studies. You can access the Language, Literacy and Numeracy tool here.

Subjects

Open Colleges may make changes to the course from time to time to reflect changes introduced to the relevant Training Package or other regulatory requirements. Please download the course guide for current information about the course and its status.

Module 1

  • Prepare workplace sustainability policies 
  • Implement workplace sustainability policies 
  • Review implementation of workplace sustainability policies 

Module 2

  • Reflect on own practice
  • Enhance own practice
  • Facilitate ongoing professional development

Module 3

  • Establish team performance plan 
  • Develop and facilitate team cohesion 
  • Facilitate teamwork 
  • Liaise with stakeholders 

Module 4

  • Contribute to needs development 
  • Support implementation of learning and development 
  • Monitor and evaluate workplace learning 

Module 5

  • Research diversity in the workplace
  • Foster diversity
  • Adapt communication strategies
  • Contribute to workplace diversity policies and procedures

Module 6

  • Enhance children’s environmental responsibility
  • Promote environmental responsibility in the service
  • Implement and evaluate environmental responsibility plan

Module 7

  • Interpret the National Quality Framework (NQF)
  • Interpret the National Quality Standard (NQS)
  • Facilitate service self- assessment
  • Facilitate the development of a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)
  • Coordinate the service for a rating and assessment visit

Module 8

  • Identify health and safety policies and procedures of the service
  • Monitor and implement health and safety policies and procedures
  • Monitor risk
  • Contribute to health and safety policies and procedures
  • Manage risk for excursion

Module 9

  • Establish and maintain relationships with families
  • Collaborate with families to share information about the child
  • Support children’s connection with community
  • Provide information about government and community services and resources

Module 10

  • Seek information to inform curriculum design
  • Design curriculum
  • Implement curriculum
  • Evaluate teaching and learning

Module 11

  • Gather information about children
  • Interpret information on children’s development and learning
  • Use information to inform practice

Module 12

  • Develop guidelines that support positive and respectful interactions and behaviour in children
  • Observe and monitor interactions and behaviour in children
  • Identify challenging behaviours
  • Plan support for children
  • Implement and evaluate support plan

Module 13

  • Promote inclusion and inclusive practices
  • Identify barriers affecting children’s participation
  • Develop individual plan for support and inclusion
  • Implement plan to meet the child’s needs
  • Monitor and evaluate strategies

Module 14

  • Understand the role of the arts in development and learning
  • Create experiences that nurture creativity
  • Nurture creativity through teaching and learning
  • Nurture creativity through engagement with children
  • Evaluate experiences

Module 15

  • Extend knowledge of early childhood learning and development
  • Support children’s sense of belonging
  • Plan and provide opportunities for children’s learning and development
  • Foster holistic and collaborative practice
  • Evaluate work practice

Payment Options

Pay in Full

You can choose to pay your course fees in full upon enrolment and benefit from a 10% discount (unless otherwise advertised).

Pay 50% & Payment Plan Combo

You can also choose to pay 50% of your total course fees upon enrolment and the balance on a Payment Plan.  When you do, you’ll benefit from 50% of the standard Pay in Full discount (unless otherwise advertised).

Payment Plan

You can choose to pay for your course in weekly or fortnightly instalments. By paying in instalments, you can schedule your payments around your regular outgoings and get ahead without breaking the bank. Open Colleges payment plans are interest-free.

BPAY®

With BPAY®, you’re able to pay quickly and securely, 24/7 through your internet, mobile or phone banking service. You can choose when, how much and from which account to pay from - whatever works for you. BPAY® is only available when paying in full. Call an Enrolment Consultant to find out more. 

BPAY® is a trademark of BPAY Pty Ltd ABN 69 079 137 518. Check if BPAY® is right for you by reading the terms and conditions available from your Financial Institution.

Trainers

Charmaine Debono

Charmaine has worked in early childhood education and care settings for 10 years  with children from aged 0-5 years. Whilst working as an Early Childhood Teacher, she completed a Certificate III and Diploma in Children’s Services, and went on to complete a Bachelor of Education (Birth to 5 years).

Charmaine also gained a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to allow her to  share her passion for early childhood education and care with others.

Debra Hine

Debra has been involved in the Early Childhood Education and Care in various forms for more than 20 years. She has completed her Nursing Diploma and begun her career as a Mothercraft Nurse, caring for babies, toddlers and young children.

Debra then took a position as a School Services Officer before she moved on to working as a Fieldworker for Family Day Care for 4 years. During this time she completed a Diploma in Children’s Services with TAFESA and a degree in Children’s Services with Charles Darwin University.

An opportunity arose to work with TAFESA where she remained until December 2019, having been with them for almost 20 years. Debra is a passionate trainer and assessor and has worked across Certificate III and the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.  

Work Placement

The course contains a minimum of 320 hours of work placement

You are required to complete 320 hours of work placement.

Work placement hours can be done part time or as a block, depending on the host organisation's requirements and availability.

You will not be able to achieve competencies for modules 5 – 15 unless you have completed your work placement hours.

The Host Organisation needs to be able to provide the students with access to the equipment and resources necessary to undertake Workplace Assessments. The Host Organisation must be a regulated children’s education and care service in Australia, operating under the legislative requirements of the National Quality Framework.

Workplaces suitable to undertake SWL at include (but are not limited to):

  • Long day care services catering for children 0-5 years of age
  • Preschools

Open Colleges will need to ascertain whether the workplace you have chosen is appropriate before you commence your work placement hours.

Immunisations

Please note that your host organisation may require you to provide an up to date immunisation history to verify current, and active, immunisations prior to the commencement of your work placement. Open Colleges has no control over this requirement, so if you are unable to provide this, you will need to discuss it with your intended Host Organisation. It should also be noted that some immunisations, such as Hepatitis B and COVID19, need multiple injections to be administered over a specific time period before you are deemed immune. It is important that you consult with your GP as soon as possible to avoid delays in starting your work placement.

Become an Open Colleges student

Course at a Glance

icon for career outcomes

Career Outcomes

  • checkAssistant Director/Director in a Childcare centre/Area Manager
  • checkChildcare Supervisor
  • checkEarly Childhood Teacher (for those holding Primary Teaching Qualifications)
  • checkFamily Day Care Educator or Area Coordinator
  • checkLead Educator
  • checkOutside of School Hours Care Coordinator
  • checkSupport worker for a child with additional needs
computer

Delivery Method

Online with Work Placement (via OpenSpaceX)

credit_score

Payment

Flexible payment options available

Recognition

Nationally recognised

Nationally Recognised Training

Why study with us?

  • Study at your pace
  • Flexible payment options
  • Nationally recognised accreditation
  • World-class learning platform

Course at a Glance

icon for career outcomes

Career Outcomes

  • checkAssistant Director/Director in a Childcare centre/Area Manager
  • checkChildcare Supervisor
  • checkEarly Childhood Teacher (for those holding Primary Teaching Qualifications)
  • checkFamily Day Care Educator or Area Coordinator
  • checkLead Educator
  • checkOutside of School Hours Care Coordinator
  • checkSupport worker for a child with additional needs
computer

Delivery Method

Online with Work Placement (via OpenSpaceX)

credit_score

Payment

Flexible payment options available

Recognition

Nationally recognised

Nationally Recognised Training

Become an Open Colleges student

Become a valued part of the early childhood education with the CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

  • If you’re working in early childhood and want to apply for a Centre Coordinator or Director role, this course will qualify you for the next step in your career.
  • As someone already qualified in childhood education and care, you’ll start with developing your management and communication skills, understanding of legal and ethical frameworks, and then focus on childcare principles, and advanced education practices.

During your studies you will learn how to:

  • Develop and implement workplace policies and procedures for sustainability
  • Undertake a structured process to reflect on and improve your professional practice
  • Manage the effectiveness of your work team
  • Contribute to, facilitate, and monitor learning and development for teams and individuals
  • Use strategies to foster and promote diversity in your work practice
  • Design, implement, and evaluate plans to enhance environmental responsibility
  • Facilitate self-assessment and develop quality improvement plans
  • Examine policies and procedures and document how risks are assessed

If you are an existing worker or have experience in the related industry, please inform our enrolment consultants during your enrolment conversation. You may be eligible to enrol as an existing worker and complete your studies faster. Please note - limitations do apply.

Potential career outcomes

  • Assistant Director/Director in a Childcare centre/Area Manager
  • Childcare Supervisor
  • Early Childhood Teacher (for those holding Primary Teaching Qualifications)
  • Family Day Care Educator or Area Coordinator
  • Lead Educator
  • Outside of School Hours Care Coordinator
  • Support worker for a child with additional needs
Course number E1407
Qualification name CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Course duration Self paced - maximum of 24 months
Delivery Method Online with Work Placement (via OpenSpaceX)
Recognition Nationally Recognised Nationally Recognised Training
Assessments Multiple choice Quiz, Projects, Role plays, Video, Work Placement, Written assessments
Awarded by Open Colleges Pty Ltd (Provider number: 90796)

Entry Requirements

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Students must hold one of the following qualifications

  • CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care or
  • CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

They must be able to provide a transcript showing that the qualification has been completed in full before their enrolment can be finalised.

It is also recommended that students

  • Are 18 years old (note: students under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to enrol)
  • Have access to a modern computer with high-speed internet
  • Have access to Microsoft office or equivalent · Have basic computing skills, including the ability to make a short video and participate in live streaming

Equipment and tools

Students will need a device to take pictures, record video, and conduct livestream.

While not necessary, it is recommended that students have access to a laptop to take to their host facility, so that they are able to complete assessment documents during placement.

While it is not required the following reading is recommended as part of the course:

  • Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings by Leonie Arthur, Bronwyn Beecher, Elizabeth Death, Susan Dockett, Sue Farmer
  • The Early Childhood Educator for Diploma by Lorraine Walker

Minimum age

You will need to be at least 18 years old.

Physical Requirements

Students will need to be reasonably physically fit, as the role of an educator involves a variety of tasks that require a reasonable amount of physical activity, such as personal care of children, and cleaning. Some lifting of children and equipment is also required. Students should be suitably fit to undertake this manual lifting.

Language, Literacy and Numeracy

Our free online assessment tool can help give you an idea of the language, literacy and numeracy skills needed to study a VET course. This tool can also help you determine your learning level and help you plan your future studies. You can access the Language, Literacy and Numeracy tool here.

Open Colleges may make changes to the course from time to time to reflect changes introduced to the relevant Training Package or other regulatory requirements. Please download the course guide for current information about the course and its status.

Module 1

  • Prepare workplace sustainability policies 
  • Implement workplace sustainability policies 
  • Review implementation of workplace sustainability policies 

Module 2

  • Reflect on own practice
  • Enhance own practice
  • Facilitate ongoing professional development

Module 3

  • Establish team performance plan 
  • Develop and facilitate team cohesion 
  • Facilitate teamwork 
  • Liaise with stakeholders 

Module 4

  • Contribute to needs development 
  • Support implementation of learning and development 
  • Monitor and evaluate workplace learning 

Module 5

  • Research diversity in the workplace
  • Foster diversity
  • Adapt communication strategies
  • Contribute to workplace diversity policies and procedures

Module 6

  • Enhance children’s environmental responsibility
  • Promote environmental responsibility in the service
  • Implement and evaluate environmental responsibility plan

Module 7

  • Interpret the National Quality Framework (NQF)
  • Interpret the National Quality Standard (NQS)
  • Facilitate service self- assessment
  • Facilitate the development of a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)
  • Coordinate the service for a rating and assessment visit

Module 8

  • Identify health and safety policies and procedures of the service
  • Monitor and implement health and safety policies and procedures
  • Monitor risk
  • Contribute to health and safety policies and procedures
  • Manage risk for excursion

Module 9

  • Establish and maintain relationships with families
  • Collaborate with families to share information about the child
  • Support children’s connection with community
  • Provide information about government and community services and resources

Module 10

  • Seek information to inform curriculum design
  • Design curriculum
  • Implement curriculum
  • Evaluate teaching and learning

Module 11

  • Gather information about children
  • Interpret information on children’s development and learning
  • Use information to inform practice

Module 12

  • Develop guidelines that support positive and respectful interactions and behaviour in children
  • Observe and monitor interactions and behaviour in children
  • Identify challenging behaviours
  • Plan support for children
  • Implement and evaluate support plan

Module 13

  • Promote inclusion and inclusive practices
  • Identify barriers affecting children’s participation
  • Develop individual plan for support and inclusion
  • Implement plan to meet the child’s needs
  • Monitor and evaluate strategies

Module 14

  • Understand the role of the arts in development and learning
  • Create experiences that nurture creativity
  • Nurture creativity through teaching and learning
  • Nurture creativity through engagement with children
  • Evaluate experiences

Module 15

  • Extend knowledge of early childhood learning and development
  • Support children’s sense of belonging
  • Plan and provide opportunities for children’s learning and development
  • Foster holistic and collaborative practice
  • Evaluate work practice

Pay in Full

You can choose to pay your course fees in full upon enrolment and benefit from a 10% discount (unless otherwise advertised).

Pay 50% & Payment Plan Combo

You can also choose to pay 50% of your total course fees upon enrolment and the balance on a Payment Plan.  When you do, you’ll benefit from 50% of the standard Pay in Full discount (unless otherwise advertised).

Payment Plan

You can choose to pay for your course in weekly or fortnightly instalments. By paying in instalments, you can schedule your payments around your regular outgoings and get ahead without breaking the bank. Open Colleges payment plans are interest-free.

BPAY®

With BPAY®, you’re able to pay quickly and securely, 24/7 through your internet, mobile or phone banking service. You can choose when, how much and from which account to pay from - whatever works for you. BPAY® is only available when paying in full. Call an Enrolment Consultant to find out more. 

BPAY® is a trademark of BPAY Pty Ltd ABN 69 079 137 518. Check if BPAY® is right for you by reading the terms and conditions available from your Financial Institution.

Charmaine Debono

Charmaine has worked in early childhood education and care settings for 10 years  with children from aged 0-5 years. Whilst working as an Early Childhood Teacher, she completed a Certificate III and Diploma in Children’s Services, and went on to complete a Bachelor of Education (Birth to 5 years).

Charmaine also gained a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to allow her to  share her passion for early childhood education and care with others.

Debra Hine

Debra has been involved in the Early Childhood Education and Care in various forms for more than 20 years. She has completed her Nursing Diploma and begun her career as a Mothercraft Nurse, caring for babies, toddlers and young children.

Debra then took a position as a School Services Officer before she moved on to working as a Fieldworker for Family Day Care for 4 years. During this time she completed a Diploma in Children’s Services with TAFESA and a degree in Children’s Services with Charles Darwin University.

An opportunity arose to work with TAFESA where she remained until December 2019, having been with them for almost 20 years. Debra is a passionate trainer and assessor and has worked across Certificate III and the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.  

The course contains a minimum of 320 hours of work placement

You are required to complete 320 hours of work placement.

Work placement hours can be done part time or as a block, depending on the host organisation's requirements and availability.

You will not be able to achieve competencies for modules 5 – 15 unless you have completed your work placement hours.

The Host Organisation needs to be able to provide the students with access to the equipment and resources necessary to undertake Workplace Assessments. The Host Organisation must be a regulated children’s education and care service in Australia, operating under the legislative requirements of the National Quality Framework.

Workplaces suitable to undertake SWL at include (but are not limited to):

  • Long day care services catering for children 0-5 years of age
  • Preschools

Open Colleges will need to ascertain whether the workplace you have chosen is appropriate before you commence your work placement hours.

Immunisations

Please note that your host organisation may require you to provide an up to date immunisation history to verify current, and active, immunisations prior to the commencement of your work placement. Open Colleges has no control over this requirement, so if you are unable to provide this, you will need to discuss it with your intended Host Organisation. It should also be noted that some immunisations, such as Hepatitis B and COVID19, need multiple injections to be administered over a specific time period before you are deemed immune. It is important that you consult with your GP as soon as possible to avoid delays in starting your work placement.

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