Childcare First Aid requirements in Queensland
If you work in early childhood education, outside school hours care or family day care, you’ll have heard the term “ACECQA approved First Aid”. But what exactly do you need, how often do you need it, and which course should you book? Here’s a plain-English guide for educators and service providers in Queensland.
Who sets the rules?
Childcare in Australia is regulated under the National Quality Framework (NQF). The national body that oversees it is the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, or ACECQA. In Queensland, services are approved and monitored by the Early Childhood Regulatory Authority, part of the Department of Education.
ACECQA publishes the list of First Aid, emergency asthma management and anaphylaxis management qualifications that are approved for use in education and care services. Only training on that list counts towards the regulations.
What the regulations require
Regulation 136 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations sets out the First Aid requirements. In short, every approved service needs educators who hold three things:
- An approved First Aid qualification
- Approved anaphylaxis management training
- Approved emergency asthma management training
How many educators need them depends on the type of service.
Centre-based services (long day care, kindergarten, OSHC)
At least one staff member or nominated supervisor with each of the three qualifications must be in attendance and immediately available at all times when children are being educated and cared for. One person can hold all three, and in practice most services make sure several educators on every shift are covered, so breaks, sick days and excursions don’t leave a gap.
Family day care
Every family day care educator, and every family day care educator assistant, must hold all three qualifications. There’s no sharing the requirement with a colleague.
Your service may ask for more
The regulations are the minimum. Many Queensland services require every educator to hold the qualifications, and it’s increasingly common for job ads to list “current ACECQA approved First Aid” as essential. If you’re studying a Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care, getting it done before you apply for jobs or placements gives you a real advantage.
One course covers all three: HLTAID012
The unit HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting is on ACECQA’s approved list and covers First Aid, emergency asthma management and anaphylaxis management in a single course. You don’t need to book three separate courses.
It’s built around the emergencies you’re most likely to face with babies and children, including:
- CPR on infants and children, as well as adults
- Choking in babies and young children
- Asthma attacks, including using a puffer and spacer
- Severe allergic reactions and using an adrenaline autoinjector (EpiPen or Anapen)
- Febrile convulsions and high temperatures
- Head injuries, falls, burns and bleeding
- Poisoning, bites and stings
- Recording and reporting incidents to parents and the regulator
For a closer look at the skills, see our Childcare First Aid course page and our Childcare First Aid FAQ.
Is a regular First Aid course (HLTAID011) enough?
On its own, no. HLTAID011 Provide First Aid is the standard workplace First Aid course. It doesn’t include the specific asthma and anaphylaxis training ACECQA requires for education and care services. If you hold HLTAID011 and start working in childcare, you’ll generally need to complete HLTAID012 as well. That’s why we always recommend educators go straight to HLTAID012.
How often do I need to renew?
Your qualifications need to be current at all times, and regulation 136 spells out exactly what “current” means:
| Training | Renew every |
|---|---|
| CPR (HLTAID009, part of HLTAID012) | 12 months |
| First Aid, asthma and anaphylaxis (HLTAID012) | 3 years |
The CPR component must have been completed within the previous year, and the rest of the First Aid qualification, plus the anaphylaxis and asthma training, within the previous three years. So the typical cycle is HLTAID012 in year one, a CPR refresher in years two and three, then HLTAID012 again in year four. Your service may set stricter rules, so check its policy.
Does it matter who I train with?
Yes. The training must be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that has the unit on its scope of registration. You can check any provider on training.gov.au by searching their RTO number. First Aid Today is RTO 45555, with HLTAID012 on scope.
Because the assessment includes CPR on infant and adult manikins and hands-on use of autoinjector and asthma devices, a nationally recognised HLTAID012 course always includes a face-to-face component. Be cautious of any provider offering it 100% online.
Book your ACECQA approved First Aid course
Our Childcare First Aid course combines self-paced online theory with a 4-hour practical session at our training centres in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. It’s $119, and your certificate is emailed to you the same day, so you can send it straight to your service or your placement coordinator.