The roles and responsibilities of working in childcare [Potential Career Paths]

During your childcare career, there will be opportunities to elevate your skills and be a better educator. One of the ways you may advance your career is by applying for leadership roles. At Child’s Play ELC, we are looking for hardworking, driven and innovative educators to come and develop their careers with us. No day is the same for our leadership team as we are constantly innovating and developing new ways to engage children in our curriculums and provide them with the highest quality care.

Below is an overview of roles that you should consider if you are a childcare educator looking to enter leadership roles.

Room Leader

The Room Leader is in charge of administering the curriculum in their assigned room and engaging with parents during pick up and drop off. On a day to day basis, they can be seen in the rooms, working with children and staff to achieve developmental milestones. By utilising the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and their extensive knowledge base, the Room Leader delivers a high standard of care that stimulates children to actively build their own knowledge and encourage exploration.

Room Leaders are also required to supervise educators and ensure all legislative requirements are adhered to, including occupational health and safety. Being a Room Leader is an engaging and diverse role which is critical to the effective delivery of our curriculum.

Supervisor

The Supervisor is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the children in the centre. Their duties include making sure all service standards and practices are maintained, such as ensuring the right educator-to-child ratio and the health and hygiene of the facility. They can also be responsible for recording attendance, safe food handling practices and administering medication for children in need. Supervisors play a supportive role for Room Leaders and Centre Managers to ensure that the learning programs are delivered, and that Child’s Play is a happy and healthy environment for everyone.

Education Lead

The Education Lead, also known as an Eduleader, provides guidance and suggestions to educators and Room Leaders on meeting the ACECQA standards and delivering a successful play-based curriculum. Their role is to inspire, motivate and challenge the team of educators to create a curriculum that excites and encourages children to develop and reach milestones. Often they assist with setting up new rooms or executing new ideas in the centres. Their role is important to Child’s Play ELC, as they provide education to families and incoming staff on play-based learning and how critical it is for children to think differently, problem solve and take safe risks.

Assistant Manager

The Assistant Manager’s main responsibility is to provide support to the Centre Manager and ascertain the safe and effective management of the childcare centre. They work closely with other departments to coordinate the effective delivery of the childcare centre curriculum, such as arranging excursions and incursions. When required, the Assistant Manager will step up as Centre Manager or step in as Room Leader, Supervisor or Education Lead to ensure the consistent delivery of services for the critical development of the children.

Centre Manager

The Centre Manager is responsible for planning, organising and coordinating all of the activities of the childcare centre and communicating with parents. Their duties include recruiting and training their team, maintaining and coordinating enrolments and being the primary contact for parents and carers. They also help to ensure the centre is safe and complies with all government regulations and standards, liaising with trades as needed for centre upgrades. They will support the Educational Lead, Room Leaders and Educators in delivering the curriculum whilst also supporting the Supervisor and Assistant Manager when needed.

Consider a Career with Child’s Play ELC

No two days are the same in childcare, offering plenty of opportunities to flex your creativity, grow and develop. If you are interested in a career in childcare, head to our careers page and explore current opportunities.