Do nannies need a licence in Australia?

No. There is no nanny's or babysitter's licence in any state or territory. What is legally required is a current working with children check for the jurisdiction you work in - the Blue Card in Queensland, the WWCC in NSW, Working with Vulnerable People registration in the ACT, the Ochre Card in the NT, and equivalents elsewhere.

Is my working with children check valid in another state?

Generally no. Each state and territory legislates its own check, with its own issuing body and validity period, and they are not automatically portable. If you move or take work across a border, apply for the check in that jurisdiction before starting.

What qualification do nannies need?

None is legally mandatory for privately engaged in-home care. In practice, families and agencies look for CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care - now being superseded by CHC30125 - plus a current first aid qualification covering CPR, anaphylaxis and asthma.

Which award covers nannies?

The Children's Services Award 2010 (MA000120) covers employees of children's services and early childhood education businesses. A nanny engaged directly by a family, outside such a service, is more likely to fall under the Miscellaneous Award 2020 (MA000104). Check the coverage clauses carefully, since directly engaged household employment is an area where coverage is frequently misunderstood.

Do I need first aid training to be a nanny?

It is not universally mandated for private in-home care, but it is expected by virtually every agency and family and is a requirement in regulated care settings. A current qualification covering first aid, CPR, anaphylaxis and asthma management is the practical standard.

What is the difference between a nanny and a babysitter?

A babysitter provides occasional, short-term supervision. A nanny is engaged on an ongoing basis, usually with responsibility for routines, meals, transport and developmental support, and is more likely to hold a formal early childhood qualification. ANZSCO lists Nanny separately as 421113 within unit group 4211 Child Carers.

Can families claim childcare subsidy for a nanny?

Only where care is delivered through an approved In Home Care service, which is a limited programme with eligibility criteria. Privately engaged nannies do not attract Child Care Subsidy. Families should confirm current eligibility with Services Australia rather than assume.

Nannies and Babysitters jobs in Australia

Nannies and babysitters provide care, supervision and developmental support for children in the family home, covering routines, meals, school runs, play and homework. There is no nanny's licence in Australia, but a working with children check is mandatory in every state and territory, and the name, issuing body and validity period of that check differ in each.

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Vacancies

Current vacancies

No nannies and babysitters roles are listed on Valont right now. Licensing and local context below still apply — this page updates when a matching role is published.

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Locations

Where we cover nannies and babysitters

AdelaideSA AlbanyWA Albury-WodongaNSW/VIC Alice SpringsNT ArmidaleNSW BairnsdaleVIC BallaratVIC Batemans BayNSW BathurstNSW BendigoVIC Blue MountainsNSW BrisbaneQLD Broken HillNSW BroomeWA BunburyWA BundabergQLD BurnieTAS BusseltonWA CairnsQLD CanberraACT Central CoastNSW Charters TowersQLD Coffs HarbourNSW DarwinNT DevonportTAS DubboNSW EchucaVIC EmeraldQLD GeelongVIC GeraldtonWA GladstoneQLD Gold CoastQLD GoulburnNSW GriffithNSW GympieQLD Hervey BayQLD HobartTAS HorshamVIC IpswichQLD KalgoorlieWA KarrathaWA LauncestonTAS LismoreNSW LoganQLD MackayQLD MandurahWA MaryboroughQLD MelbourneVIC MeltonVIC MilduraVIC Mount GambierSA Mount IsaQLD Murray BridgeSA NewcastleNSW NowraNSW OrangeNSW PerthWA Port HedlandWA Port LincolnSA Port MacquarieNSW QueanbeyanNSW RedlandsQLD RockhamptonQLD RomaQLD SaleVIC SheppartonVIC Sunshine CoastQLD SydneyNSW TamworthNSW TareeNSW ToowoombaQLD TownsvilleQLD TraralgonVIC Wagga WaggaNSW WangarattaVIC WarrnamboolVIC WarwickQLD WhyallaSA WollongongNSW

Licensing

Licensing by state

Nannying and babysitting is not a licensed occupation in Australia - no jurisdiction issues a nanny's licence, and privately engaged in-home care generally sits outside the National Quality Framework that regulates centre-based services. The universal legal requirement is instead a working with children check, and every state and territory runs its own, with a different name, issuing body and validity period. Queensland has the Blue Card, the ACT has Working with Vulnerable People registration, Tasmania has Registration to Work with Vulnerable People, and the Northern Territory uses the Ochre Card. Checks are not automatically portable between jurisdictions, so a nanny moving interstate must generally apply again in the new jurisdiction. Where in-home care is delivered under an approved in-home care service, the National Quality Framework and ACECQA qualification requirements apply on top.

the Australian Capital Territory: No occupational licence. Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration, issued by Access Canberra, is required for child-related work in the ACT.
New South Wales: No occupational licence. A Working with Children Check (WWCC) issued by the Office of the Children's Guardian is required for child-related work, verified by the employer against the WWCC register. Applications are lodged through Service NSW.
the Northern Territory: No occupational licence. A Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card) issued by SAFE NT is required for child-related work in the Northern Territory.
Queensland: No occupational licence. A Working with Children Check (Blue Card) issued by Blue Card Services, Department of Justice, is required for child-related work. Nannies employed through an approved in-home care service are additionally subject to National Quality Framework requirements.
South Australia: No occupational licence. A Working with Children Check issued by the Department of Human Services Screening Unit is required for child-related work. No nanny licence exists.
Tasmania: No occupational licence. Registration to Work with Vulnerable People, administered by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), is required for child-related work in Tasmania.
Victoria: No occupational licence. A Working with Children Clearance is required for child-related work, administered by the Victorian Government. No nanny registration or licence exists in Victoria.
Western Australia: No occupational licence. A Working with Children (WWC) Check issued by the Department of Communities is a compulsory screening requirement for child-related work in Western Australia.

Role

What the job involves

Supervise and care for children safely in the home and on outings
Prepare meals and snacks and manage feeding, allergies and dietary needs
Manage daily routines including sleep, hygiene, dressing and toileting
Plan and lead play, craft, reading and age-appropriate developmental activities
Transport children to and from school, care and activities
Support homework, reading and early learning
Guide behaviour and support children's social and emotional development
Maintain tidiness of children's areas and communicate with parents on progress

Training

Qualifications and training

A current working with children check for the relevant state or territory - the one universal legal requirement
CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care - the standard sector qualification; being superseded by CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care for senior or educator-level in-home roles
A current approved first aid qualification including CPR, anaphylaxis and asthma management, which most agencies and families require
A current driver licence where the role includes school runs or activity transport

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Child development knowledge across relevant age ranges · Current first aid, CPR, anaphylaxis and asthma competence · Positive behaviour guidance and boundary setting · Meal preparation and allergy and dietary management · Safe driving and child restraint knowledge for school runs · Clear, respectful communication with parents · Discretion, reliability and confidentiality in a family home · Activity planning and age-appropriate engagement

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about nannies and babysitters work in Australia.

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Sources

Nannies and Babysitters — occupation data · verified 2026-08-04. ABS ANZSCO 2022, Unit Group 4211 Child Carers - https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/anzsco-australian-and-new-zealand-standard-classification-occupations/2022/browse-classification/4/42/421/4211; training.gov.au CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care - https://training.gov.au/training/details/CHC30121; Fair Work Ombudsman, Children's Services Award - https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/awards/awards-summary/ma000120-summary; Fair Work Ombudsman, Miscellaneous Award - https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/awards/awards-summary/ma000104-summary; Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, working with children checks - https://www.acic.gov.au/services/national-police-checking-service/find-out-more-information/working-children-checks; Queensland Blue Card Services - https://www.qld.gov.au/law/laws-regulated-industries-and-accountability/queensland-laws-and-regulations/regulated-industries-and-licensing/blue-card-services; NSW Office of the Children's Guardian - https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check; WA Department of Communities Working with Children Check - https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/working-children-check; Access Canberra WWVP - https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/; ACECQA - https://www.acecqa.gov.au/

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