Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
CHC30125
Course duration: 18 months
Price: TBA
How it works: Study online. With a difference.
Start date: Immediately, or whenever you're ready.
Entry requirements: No formal prerequisites | RPL available | Work Placement required | Some clearances needed
Qualification type: Certificate III
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is the minimum qualification required to work as an educator in a regulated early childhood service in Australia. Start your ECEC career with Monarch — available exclusively in Victoria.
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is the minimum qualification required to work as an educator in a regulated early childhood service in Australia. Start your ECEC career with Monarch — available exclusively in Victoria.
Multi-award winning training provider
Latest qualification
Simulated learning environment
Nationally recognised
Course Summary
Working in early childhood education and care is one of the most rewarding careers you can choose — and the Certificate III is your starting point. It's the minimum qualification required to work in a regulated ECEC service in Australia, opening doors to roles in long day care, family day care, preschool, kindergarten, and outside school hours care.
Monarch's Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is built by ECEC professionals who understand what it takes to work effectively with children from day one. The course is contextualised to the sector, developed with new entrants in mind, and delivered entirely online so you can study around your life.
You'll study through the Little.ly Early Learning Centre — a simulated ECEC setting that prepares you for the workplace before you arrive. With flexible trainer support, real-world scenarios, and 200 hours of supervised work placement, you'll be ready to work in a regulated service from the moment you graduate.
Early Childhood Educator
Family Day Care Educator
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) Educator
This course is designed to be completed within 18 months, delivered across two blocks: Block 1 (5 months) and Block 2 (13 months). You work at your own pace and submit assessments by the unit due dates within each block. Students with relevant experience in the ECEC sector may complete sooner.
This course is delivered entirely online through an asynchronous, self-paced model. You'll access your learning materials, digital lessons, and assessments through an online portal that you can use anywhere, anytime.
Easy-to-follow digital lessons
Knowledge-check quizzes throughout
Access to the Little.ly Early Learning Centre — a simulated ECEC setting
Support from your trainer (email, phone, Zoom via Calendly)
Dedicated support team on hand to guide you
Online assessments
Access to a closed student Facebook group
Assessments are completed unit by unit across 12 modules. Assessment types include short answer questions, projects, case studies, role plays, portfolio tasks, journals, and interview questionnaires. Work Placement assessments include direct observation by a Monarch assessor, third-party reports from your workplace supervisor, and workplace practice verification. You must complete all theoretical and practical requirements before being deemed competent in a unit.
You can start immediately — or whenever you're ready. There are no fixed intake dates. Once enrolled, your 18-month training plan begins and you work through at your own pace.
Work Placement is a core part of this course, and like all early childhood education and care programmes, you'll need to source an approved placement in a regulated ECEC service.
The good news? Most students find a placement themselves through their current workplace, a local centre, or word of mouth. Once you've identified a placement, Monarch handles everything else, we'll assess and approve the host organisation, onboard your supervisor, and make sure everything meets the regulatory requirements before you set foot through the door.
If you get stuck, we've got you covered. Our Placement Matching Service guarantees to find you an approved placement for a small administrative fee of $300. We do the searching, you do the learning.
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"I felt genuinely prepared and confident walking into my first job."
- Notareal Person, Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care Student
Entry Requirements
There are no formal prerequisites for the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. Once we receive your enrolment, our course consultants will be in touch to complete a pre-training review to make sure the course is the right fit for you. For students who haven't held a qualification at this level or above, we'll also ask you to complete a short language, literacy and numeracy quiz online before you begin.
All students are offered the opportunity to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). If you have existing skills, knowledge or experience relevant to this qualification — such as time spent working or volunteering in an ECEC setting — you may be eligible to have that recognised. Speak to a course consultant during your pre-training review to find out more. Refer to the Monarch RPL and Credit Transfer policy for full details.
First Aid (HLTAID012) is completed externally through an approved provider and submitted to Monarch as a Credit Transfer. The First Aid certificate is valid for 3 years; the CPR component must be renewed annually. It is the student's responsibility to arrange and maintain currency of their First Aid Certificate.
A computer or laptop with reliable internet access
A video recording device (e.g. smartphone or webcam) — required for some assessment activities
Microsoft Office or equivalent word processing software
Work Placement requirements: Before commencing Work Placement, students must hold a valid Working with Children Check, vaccinations, appropriate clearances, and complete national child safety training (Geccko). It is the student's responsibility to arrange and maintain these prior to commencing placement.
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Pathways
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is the foundation of an ECEC career — and a direct pathway into the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50125). The Diploma opens up leadership and coordination roles across the sector, and can itself provide a pathway into a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education.
University credit
Some universities may grant credit towards an early childhood degree based on your Certificate III units. Contact the university you're considering to confirm their credit transfer arrangements.
Related Monarch Short Courses
CHC50125 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
CHCSS00147 Entry into Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care Skill Set
Unit Code | Unit Title |
CHCECE055 | Meet legal and ethical obligations in children's education and care |
CHCECE056 | Work effectively in children's education and care |
CHCPRT025 | Identify and report children and young people at risk |
HLTWHS001 | Participate in workplace health and safety |
CHCECE030 | Support inclusion and diversity |
CHCECE054 | Encourage understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples' cultures |
CHCECE037 | Support children to connect with the natural environment |
CHCECE031 | Support children's health, safety and wellbeing |
CHCECE032 | Nurture babies and toddlers |
CHCECE033 | Develop positive and respectful relationships with children |
CHCECE034 | Use an approved learning framework to guide practice |
CHCECE035 | Support the holistic learning and development of children |
CHCECE036 | Provide experiences to support children's play and learning |
CHCECE038 | Observe children to inform practice |
HLTAID012 | Provide First Aid in an education and care setting (Credit Transfer — completed externally) |
Unit Code | Unit Title |
HLTFSE001 | Follow basic food safety practices |
BSBSUS411 | Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices |
Start your ECEC career
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is the minimum qualification required to work as an educator in a regulated early childhood service in Australia. This is your starting point — and Monarch will get you there.
Victoria only
This course is currently available exclusively in Victoria, Australia. It is not available to offshore students or Australians residing outside of Victoria.
200 hours work placement included
Gain supervised, real-world experience in a regulated early childhood education and care setting. Monarch assessors support you throughout your placement and conduct direct observation visits to assess your practical skills.
Nationally recognised
The CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and listed as an approved qualification by ACECQA. It is also the direct entry point into the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.
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Fees
Victorian Government funding is available for eligible students.
Funding states: Victoria