Growing and supporting the workforce
Every child deserves a flying start. A strong, valued early childhood workforce is fundamental to achieving this. That is why we are investing a record $96.6 million over 4 years to grow and support the early childhood workforce and provide support for quality teaching and learning in preparation for universal 3-year-old preschool delivery.
Below you'll find tools and opportunities to grow and support your workforce.
For all current financial support opportunities see our Grants page.
Key Documents
Every child deserves a flying start. A strong, valued early childhood workforce is fundamental to achieving this. That is why we are investing a record $96.6 million over 4 years to grow and support the early childhood workforce and provide support for quality teaching and learning in preparation for universal 3-year-old preschool delivery.
The Early Childhood Workforce Strategy was released in June 2024.
Read South Australia’s Aboriginal Early Childhood Workforce Strategy (2025 – 2027)
The South Australian Government is investing a record $5.8 million to support the growth, development and retention of the Aboriginal early childhood education workforce.
South Australia’s Aboriginal Early Childhood Workforce Strategy (2025 – 2027) was co-designed in partnership with the South Australian Aboriginal Community to strengthen and grow the Aboriginal workforce within the early childhood sector across South Australia.
The Office for Early Childhood Development is working to grow and support culturally safe and accessible pathways into early childhood careers that recognise, develop and retain Aboriginal people long-term.
Read South Australian Early Childhood Multi-Disciplinary Workforce Strategy (2025–2027)
The South Australian Early Childhood Multi-Disciplinary Workforce Strategy brings together early childhood teachers and educators with allied health professionals including speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers, to connect with families and create a collaborative approach to supporting children’s development in early childhood settings.
Through this approach, we’re working toward reducing the number of children starting school with developmental vulnerabilities and helping every child get the support they need to thrive in learning and in life.
We will keep you updated as the Strategy initiatives are launched.
A new Preschool Toolkit will be released in term 4, 2025 to support early childhood services that are partnering with the government to deliver quality 3-year-old preschool from 2026.
For the most up to date information on the Preschool Toolkit, including online access to Plink, see the Supporting staff to deliver 3-year-old preschool page.
NQS approved qualification list ACECQA
To work in a family day care or centre based service with children preschool age and under, educators must hold, or in some circumstances be actively working towards an approved qualification. Use the NQS approved qualification list to search the list of approved and former approved early childhood teaching, diploma and certificate III level qualifications.