Search childcare jobs in Australia and you will see "childcare assistant," "childcare educator," "early childhood educator" and "carer" used across listings, often for very different roles with very different qualification requirements. Here is what each one actually means.
Childcare assistant
A childcare assistant role typically does not require a formal early childhood qualification, though many assistants are working towards a Certificate III while employed. Assistants generally work under the direct supervision of a qualified educator, support routine care tasks such as meals, nappy changes and supervised play, and are not counted as the qualified educator in a room's ratio calculation under the National Quality Framework.
Childcare educator
A childcare educator holds, at minimum, a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. This is the qualification level required to be counted in the regulated educator-to-child ratios in a centre, and it is also the minimum qualification accepted for in-home carer roles through Nest and Nurture Little Ones. Educators plan and deliver age-appropriate learning experiences, complete observation and documentation, and hold direct responsibility for the children in their care.
The pay difference
Assistant roles in centres typically sit at or near minimum wage, since no formal qualification is required. A Cert III qualified educator in a Victorian centre earns from $29.52 per hour under the Children's Services Award as restructured from March 2026. Through Nest and Nurture Little Ones, the same Cert III qualification earns from $40 per hour for in-home care with one child.
Which role suits you
- You have no formal qualification and want to start in childcare: an assistant role, often combined with studying a Cert III, is the entry point
- You already hold a Cert III, Diploma or degree: you qualify as an educator and the assistant pathway is not the right fit financially or professionally
- You hold an overseas qualification: it needs to be assessed by ACECQA before you are recognised as an educator in Australia, even with years of overseas experience
What this means for in-home childcare work
Nest and Nurture Little Ones only accepts applications from qualified educators, minimum Certificate III, not assistants. This is deliberate. Families booking in-home care are placing a child in the sole care of one adult with no second qualified staff member present, unlike a centre where an assistant works alongside an educator. That is why the qualification bar for in-home work sits at educator level, not assistant level.
Already a qualified educator?
If you hold a Cert III or above, a current WWCC, first aid and police check, you meet the bar for in-home work. See what you could earn per child.
Qualified early childhood educator? Join Nest and Nurture Little Ones
One family at a time. Set your own hours. From 40 dollars per hour. Wednesday pay. We review every application within 5 business days.
See how it works