Do teachers and childcare workers need child care first aid training?
Childcare first aid for educators, parents and carers: what you learn and how to book a childcare first aid course Sydney or Melbourne.
Written byEdway
The short answer
The childcare first aid course is made for people who work with children in education and care services, such as long day care, preschool, family day care and outside school hours care. Teachers, educators and support staff all take it. Its main unit, HLTAID012, is ACECQA-approved and meets the scope the National Regulations require for first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training in those services. The duty sits with your service, so ask your centre what it needs from you.
Accidents and emergencies can happen unexpectedly, especially where children are involved. More often than not, the right response needs to be taken quickly and decisively. This Childcare First Aid training course gives you the skills and the confidence to do exactly that.
First aid training childcare services need
The Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations apply to services in the National Quality Framework. That includes childcare centres, preschools and kindergartens, family day care and outside school hours care.
Under regulation 136, a service must have educators present at all times who hold approved first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training. The duty sits with the service. The educators on site must hold these qualifications between them. One person does not have to hold all three, and the regulations do not say that every educator must personally hold this course.
That is why first aid training for childcare workers is such a valuable thing to bring to a service. A Childcare First Aid certificate shows you are ready to step in, and it helps your centre keep the right people on every shift.
School teachers are a different case. If you teach in a school, check with your employer or regulator about the first aid training you need.
HLTAID012 vs HLTAID011
There are two courses people often mix up.
| Childcare first aid | Standard first aid | |
|---|---|---|
| Main unit | HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting | HLTAID011 Provide First Aid |
| Built for | Education and care services | Most workplaces |
| ACECQA-approved for services | Yes | Not on its own |
HLTAID011 is the standard workplace first aid course. It covers asthma and anaphylaxis, but on its own it does not cover the asthma and anaphylaxis requirement for education and care services. If you work in a service, the childcare course is the one built for that setting.
For a wider comparison of the first aid courses, see which first aid course you need.
What you learn in childcare first aid training Sydney
This is first aid for educators, built around an education and care setting. The course is hands-on and practical. You learn to:
- respond to an emergency in a service with children present
- give CPR, including to infants and children
- manage asthma and anaphylaxis emergencies
- apply first aid procedures
- communicate about the incident and review it afterwards
When you finish, your Statement of Attainment covers four units: HLTAID012, HLTAID011, HLTAID010 and HLTAID009. That means one course also gives you the standard first aid, basic emergency life support and CPR units. The Statement of Attainment is nationally recognised.
It is one First Aid course that covers the Provide First Aid course content, CPR and the childcare unit together. You walk out with the confidence to provide safety, security and support to the children in your care.
Most workplaces ask you to refresh first aid every three years and CPR every twelve months. The guide on how long a first aid certificate lasts explains this in more detail.
Childcare first aid Sydney and childcare first aid training Melbourne
Training Aid Australia (RTO 91411) delivers and issues the childcare first aid course in both states. Edway does not issue it.
- Childcare first aid Sydney: classroom sessions run at Darlinghurst, Seven Hills and Mona Vale. Dates are shown on the course page.
- Childcare first aid Melbourne: the course is offered in Melbourne and Hallam by enquiry. Send an enquiry from the course page to ask about dates.
The classroom day is 8 hours including breaks. Before it, you complete a short compulsory online module of about 1 to 3 hours. There are no prerequisites. You need one photo ID, a Unique Student Identifier (USI), enough English to follow the course, and the ability to do 2 minutes of CPR on a manikin.
The price is on the course page.
Do you love working with children? This course is a great first step towards a job in childcare, and we are happy to help you take it.
Childcare first aid Melbourne and Sydney for parents and home carers
You do not need to work in childcare to take this course. Parents, grandparents, nannies and other home carers can enrol too. Raising children is an exciting yet challenging experience. Children are naturally curious about the world around them, and this course teaches you CPR for infants and children and how to respond to asthma and allergic reactions.
For parents and guardians entrusting their children to the care of others, knowing that the carers are trained in first aid gives real peace of mind. And one of the great benefits of knowing child care first aid is that you can teach your kids about safety too.
Want standard first aid for adults at work? The first aid course is built for that.
Next step
To see dates in Sydney, send a Melbourne enquiry, and check the issuing RTO before you book, go to the Childcare First Aid course page.
Sources
- ACECQA — approved first aid qualificationsHLTAID012 as an ACECQA-approved first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis qualification
- Education and Care Services National Regulations — regulation 136The service-level requirement for first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training
- Edway knowledge base — courses/childcare-first-aid/index.mdCourse facts: units covered, duration, who it is for, issuing RTO, ACECQA approval wording
- Edway knowledge base — courses/childcare-first-aid/offerings.yamlSydney and Melbourne delivery, venues and issuing RTO per offering
- Edway knowledge base — courses/childcare-first-aid/recognition.md and faq.yamlStatement of Attainment, refresh periods, the service-level duty
- Edway knowledge base — courses/first-aid/index.mdHLTAID011 scope for the comparison
