Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

First Aid & CPR Australia

If you work in childcare in Australia — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.

Requirements at a glance

Regulatory frameworkEducation and Care Services National Regulations 2011, Regulation 136 (National Quality Framework). The approved qualification for education and care settings is HLTAID012 'Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting', which covers first aid, anaphylaxis management and emergency asthma management.
Governing authorityACECQA (Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority) publishes the approved qualifications list; state/territory regulatory authorities enforce compliance.
Renewal periodEvery 3 years
Min. certified staffAt a centre-based service, at all times and immediately available in an emergency: at least one staff member holding a current approved first aid qualification, at least one who has completed approved anaphylaxis management training, and at least one who has completed approved emergency asthma management training. HLTAID012 satisfies all three. In family day care, each educator must hold all three. The CPR component (HLTAID009) must be renewed annually.
Online training acceptanceOnline courses accepted
Every 3 yearsOnline courses accepted

What Australia requires

Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (Regulation 136), every centre-based service must have, at all times and immediately available in an emergency, staff who hold current approved training in first aid, in anaphylaxis management and in emergency asthma management. A single qualification, HLTAID012 'Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting', covers all three, and in family day care each educator must hold it in their own right. The approved qualifications are published by ACECQA and enforced by each state and territory; the CPR component is refreshed every year while the wider certificate is renewed every three.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

For any child at risk of anaphylaxis, the Regulations require a medical management and risk-minimisation plan, and no medication may be given without written parental authorisation. Adrenaline, however, may be administered in a genuine emergency even without prior consent, so an educator can act the moment a reaction begins. Keeping current, hands-on training in recognising and treating anaphylaxis is what makes that split-second response possible.

How our courses meet these requirements

A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Australia’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.

Don't wait for renewal day

In a severe allergic reaction or a blocked airway, the distance between a frightening moment and a lasting tragedy is measured in seconds — the seconds before help arrives. A recognised, standards-based certification that meets the approved first aid, anaphylaxis and asthma requirements gives educators the calm competence to act, and gives parents the confidence that the people caring for their child are genuinely ready. It is not a box to tick; it is the promise every family is trusting you to keep.