Children's Services
The Children’s Services Profession
What is Children’s Services?
Work within children’s services involves working with and caring for children between the ages of 0-6 years. Work as a children’s services professional may take place within a long day care or occasional care centre (or child care centre), family day care which is provided in the carer’s home or as a nanny where children are cared for in their family home.
Is Children’s Services for me?
A career in children’s services can be a challenging and rewarding path to take if you have a passion and keen interest in caring for and working with children. It involves being part of a team whose daily role is to provide high quality care to children so it means being responsible, reliable and committed. It can be hard work but professionals in this field get to share some of the most beautiful memories created by a child and play a valuable role in supporting the community.
Desirable personal qualities of a children’s services professional are patience, understanding, imagination and energy.
What does the work involve?
Responsibilities of a children’s services professional include facilitating children’s play and leisure; planning children’s routines and programs to meet their developmental needs; providing nutritious food; providing play experiences which enhance physical, cognitive, language and emotional development; working with children with additional needs; evaluating service programs; observing children; working with families and more!
What are the career options?
The career options for a children’s services professional are many and varied. Options include owning and running your own child care centre, supervising a child care room and other staff, running a family day care business for a small group of children in your home, nanny-caring in someone else’s family home, training and assessing other child care professionals, working with children who have additional needs, child safety liaison or inspector and the possibilities go on.
Certificate III in Children’s Services
Suitable for: Those working or who wish to work as a children’s services assistant. The Certificate III is the pathway to the Diploma of Children’s Services.
Learning Outcomes: The Certificate III supports entry-level work in the children’s services sector and will teach you about using organisational policies and procedures, using children’s profiles to plan activities, providing care for children and facilitating play to achieve developmental outcomes.
Course Topics: Professional Development; Children’s Health and Safety, Basic Child Development and Programming, Children’s Welfare & Wellbeing; First aid.
Career Outcomes: Graduates of the course can expect to work as a children’s services assistant, family day care provider or as a nanny.
Electives: Nannies may opt for our Nanny stream which has units specifically related to working as a nanny within a family home.
Certification: Certificate III in Children’s Services plus a First Aid certificate.
Delivery Options & Details:
| Delivery Mode |
Duration |
Location |
In-takes |
| Class Based |
20 Weeks |
Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide |
February & July |
| Workplace Based |
Self Paced – Average 12 months |
In your workplace – Vic, SA, Qld |
Start at any time |
| Traineeship |
Determined by State Govt Contract |
In your workplace |
Start at any time |
| Distance |
Self Paced – Average 18 months |
Available Nationally |
Start at any time |
| Recognition RPL |
Self Paced – Average 6 months |
In your workplace – Vic, Qld, SA |
Start at any time |
Diploma of Children’s Services
Suitable for: Those working or who to wish to work as a room leader, group leader or coordinator in a children’s services centre. Units from the Certificate III in Children’s Services are pre-requisites for this course.
Learning Outcomes: The Diploma supports intermediate level work within the sector and will prepare you to be responsible for the planning and implementation of quality programs for children to best meet their developmental needs. You will gain knowledge of development of children from 0-6 years and learn to work closely with parents to foster children’s development.
Career Outcomes: Students who complete this course can expect to work as a qualified children’s services professional as a team or group leader or coordinator, program leader, service manager, service director (depending on State legislation) or as a special needs inclusion worker. Depending on the setting, workers with this qualification may have responsibility for supervising other staff within the centre.
Course Topics: Professional Development, Advanced Child Development, Advanced Programming, Inclusion, Maintaining Partnerships with Families as well as Safety.
Course Articulation: Graduates of this course can negotiate significant credits in degrees in education with many Universities.
Delivery Options & Details
| Delivery Mode |
Duration |
Location |
In-takes |
| Class Based |
40 Weeks |
Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide |
February & July |
| Workplace Based |
Self Paced – Average 12 months |
In your workplace – Vic, SA, Qld |
Start at any time |
| Traineeship |
Determined by State Govt Contract |
In your workplace – Vic, SA |
Start at any time |
| Apprenticeship |
Determined by State Govt Contract |
In your workplace – Qld |
Start at any time |
| Distance |
Self Paced – Average 18 months |
Available Nationally |
Start at any time |
| Recognition RPL |
Self Paced – Average 6 months |
In your workplace – Vic, Qld, SA |
Start at any time |
Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services
Suitable for: Those working or who wish to work at a management level within a children’s services centre.
Learning Outcomes: The Advanced Diploma supports advanced-level work within the children’s services sector and will prepare you with management skills for dealing with staff, finances and workplace issues effectively. The course also provides you with skills to provide high quality care which includes meeting the individual needs of children, enhancing their development and advocating for their rights.
Career Outcomes: Graduates of this course can expect to work as a centre director or manager, a children’s services field worker or area manager or you could own and run your own children’s services centre. Professionals with this qualification can expect to have the responsibility of supervising small or large groups of other staff.
Course Topics: Professional Development, Financial Management, Management & Leadership, Marketing, Quality & Service Innovation, Advocating for Children’s Rights and Meeting the Individual Needs of Children.
Course Articulation: Graduates of this course can negotiate significant credits in degrees in education with many Universities.
| Delivery Mode |
Duration |
Location |
In-takes |
| Workplace Based |
Self Paced – Average 18 months |
In your workplace – Vic, SA, Qld |
Start at any time |
| Traineeship |
Determined by State Govt Contract |
In your workplace – Vic |
Start at any time |
| Distance |
Self Paced – Average 24 months |
Available Nationally |
Start at any time |
| Recognition RPL |
Self Paced – Average 9 months |
In your workplace – Vic, Qld, SA |
Start at any time |
For further information such as prices, delivery options and units included in the course offered in your state, select the course details from the course search function on this website or call your nearest office on 1300 364 383.