What is Child Care?
Child care is the art of providing children with the care, support and supervision they need in both residential and non-residential settings. This can include reading to them, playing games with them, and ensuring that they get food, medication, and naps on schedule, as well as helping to guide their social development in a positive and responsible way.
Roles in child care can include any of the following;
- Child Care Worker
- Child Care Centre Manager
- Family Day Care Worker
- Nanny
Child Care in Australia
Australia’s child care industry is large and growing fast, with approximately 1.7 million children under the age of 12 currently attending one of the 10,400 child care facilities across the country.
Most of our child care professionals are based in New South Wales (35.6%), Victoria (24.1%) and Queensland (20%); the average working week is 37 hours long, and the average income is $54,932.
Of the roughly 149,600 child care professionals currently employed throughout Australia, 93.8% are women, 51.2% work part-time, and the average age is 31 years old.
Child Care Courses
Caring for other people’s children comes with a huge amount of responsibility, which is why any role in child care requires the backing of a quality education.
Whether you are looking for a Certificate III in Childcare program, a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, or a TAFE childcare course at the bachelor level, you will find a wide range of childcare courses to suit your needs at tafecourses.com.au.
Certificate
A great way to get started is by taking a certificate level course, such as a Certificate in Child Development or a Certificate III in Childcare, as these nationally recognised programs can be completed in 12-18 months and include both in-class and online childcare course options. They cover everything from child development, psychology, safety and education, through to the latest laws and regulations impacting the industry; while some will even cover the basics of nutrition for growing bodies.
Diploma
If you want to advance into roles with higher pay and greater responsibilities, a diploma in childcare is a fantastic choice. Here you will tackle topics such as creating and maintaining healthy environments, designing and implementing childcare programming, as well as the art of dealing with complex child care issues in a safe and professional manner. A diploma can provide a wonderful stepping stone towards roles including child development worker, family day care coordinator or even children’s services manager.
Bachelor Degree
Those interested in starting their own childcare business, or perhaps even moving into early childhood education, will be well served by a bachelor level credential. These popular programs go into great detail regarding child development theory, curriculum design, and group dynamics, all while building your skills as a leader, advocate, and educator. A bachelor level program will also often include multiple professional work placements, so you’ll graduate ready to hit the ground running.
Every course advertised through TAFE has been designed according to national standards and is taught by fully qualified professionals. So, whether you invest in one of the many Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne TAFE courses or study child care courses online, you can count on getting the skills and confidence you need to thrive.
Career Prospects in Child Care
Those skilled in the art of child care provision will never be out of a job in Australia, as this vibrant industry has grown by a staggering 41% over the past five years alone. Strong growth is expected throughout the industry for at least the next few years, with a likelihood of 36,800 job openings annually.
Is a Career in Child Care Right for You?
To thrive in this challenging industry, you need to be just as skilled in the art of relating to kids as you are at dealing with their parents. You will also need to have an endless supply of patience, be alert and always observant, as well as be fit and strong enough to keep up with those little ones all day long.
If the following skills and traits sound like you, you’ll do well in child care;
- Creative thinker
- Talented problem-solver
- Clear communicator
- Socially aware
- Effective negotiator
Think you can handle hanging out with a mob of other people’s kids every day? If so, taking the first step towards a child care career is easy at TAFE. Simply compare both in-class and online options, and find the childcare course that ticks all your boxes – sign up today!
