Childcare Educator jobs

Childcare jobs in Adelaide, SA

Childcare jobs in Adelaide cover long day care, preschool, outside school hours care and family day care from the northern suburbs to the Adelaide Hills. South Australia has its own regulator, the Education Standards Board, has registered early childhood teachers since 1976, and publishes Working with Children Check obligations for organisations. Register your CV with CrossNation and a recruiter reviews it as employers brief us.

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By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 6 October 2026.

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Open childcare educator roles in Adelaide right now: 0

No matching roles are open in Adelaide right now. Create a candidate profile and upload your CV, and a recruiter reviews profiles against roles as employers brief us. A listing is not a job offer.

What to know

What to know before you apply in Adelaide

What does childcare work look like in Adelaide?

Greater Adelaide is smaller than the eastern capitals, with the northern suburbs around Salisbury, Elizabeth and Modbury, the south around Marion, Noarlunga and Aldinga, and Mount Barker and the Adelaide Hills further out. Preschool programs, long day care and outside school hours care all employ educators. ACECQA lists South Australia among the jurisdictions that set their own qualification rules for outside school hours care, so an educator who wants before and after school work should ask the service which approved qualifications it accepts.

How does the South Australian Working with Children Check work?

South Australia runs the Check through the Screening Unit. The SA Government fee page listed $145 for employees, $73.50 for tertiary students and no fee for volunteers when we read it on 6 October 2026, and said the application fee is not returned. The SA Government publishes the obligations for organisations on its Working with Children Check pages, and a centre will usually ask for proof early. Combine the Check with the national child safety training that began on 27 February 2026.

What are the South Australian ratios, regulator and teacher rules?

The ratio for children from 36 months to preschool age is one educator to eleven, and over preschool age it is one to fifteen, with one to five for children from 24 to 36 months and one to four under that age. The regulatory authority is the Education Standards Board for South Australia. ACECQA says early childhood teachers in South Australia have been required to be registered since 1976, and since 1 January 2014 that includes teachers working in NQF settings, with registration held through the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia. For a service with 25 to 59 children in attendance the national rules require a full-time equivalent teacher or teacher attendance for a set number of hours.

What do the local numbers say?

At the 2021 Census Greater Adelaide had 1,387,290 residents and a median age of 39, against 38 for Australia. 74,749 were aged 0 to 4 (5.4%, below the 5.8% national share) and 81,431 were aged 5 to 9 (5.9%). 13.2% of employed residents worked as community and personal service workers, which includes child carers, against 13.0% across South Australia. The ABS lists Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) (5.3%), Aged Care Residential Services (3.2%), Supermarket and Grocery Stores (2.9%), Other Social Assistance Services (2.6%), Cafes and Restaurants (2.3%) among the five biggest industries of employment. These figures describe the area, not CrossNation vacancies.

What you could apply for in Adelaide

Role types

Educator in a long day care room in the northern, southern or eastern suburbs
Diploma-qualified educator or room leader
Educator in a preschool program
Outside school hours care educator at a primary school
Early childhood teacher, registered with the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia

Areas covered: Salisbury, Elizabeth, Modbury, Marion, Noarlunga, Aldinga, Mount Barker, Norwood, Port Adelaide.

Official data

Key facts from official sources

SA: Working with Children Check fee (read 6 October 2026)

$145 for employees, $73.50 for tertiary students and no fee for volunteers, foster carers and secondary students on work experience. The SA Government says the application fee is not returned.

Source: SA.GOV.AU: Apply for a Working with Children Check (retrieved 6 October 2026)

SA: organisation obligations

The SA Government publishes the Working with Children Check obligations and responsibilities for organisations. Read that page for the current rules.

Source: SA.GOV.AU: Organisations' Working with Children Check obligations and responsibilities (retrieved 6 October 2026)

SA: regulator and ratios

The Education Standards Board is the regulatory authority. The ratio is 1:11 from 36 months to preschool age and 1:15 over preschool age.

Source: ACECQA: Contact your regulatory authority (retrieved 6 October 2026)

SA: early childhood teacher registration

Since 1976 all early childhood teachers have been required to be registered, and from 1 January 2014 that includes teachers in NQF settings. The authority is the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia.

Source: ACECQA: Early childhood teacher registration and accreditation (retrieved 6 October 2026)

Greater Adelaide: children by age at the 2021 Census

74,749 aged 0-4 (5.4%), 81,431 aged 5-9 (5.9%) and 81,359 aged 10-14 (5.9%).

Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Adelaide (retrieved 6 October 2026)

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A recruiter reviews profiles against roles as employers brief us. Listings are not job offers.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Working with Children Check for childcare jobs in Adelaide?

Yes for people in child-related roles. The SA Government publishes the obligations for organisations and the application steps on its Working with Children Check pages, so read them before you apply or hire.

How much does the South Australian Check cost?

On 6 October 2026 the SA Government listed $145 for employees, $73.50 for tertiary students and no fee for volunteers. Check the page before you apply because fees change.

Do early childhood teachers need registration in SA?

Yes. ACECQA says all early childhood teachers have to be registered in South Australia, including those working in NQF settings since 1 January 2014.

Who regulates childcare services in South Australia?

ACECQA lists the Education Standards Board as the South Australian regulatory authority. It approves services and assesses them against the National Quality Standard.

What are the SA ratios for preschool-age children?

The ratio is one educator to eleven children from 36 months up to and including preschool age, and one to fifteen over preschool age, counted across the whole service.

Are there childcare jobs in Adelaide listed with CrossNation today?

Any open role that matches appears in the live roles section above. If there is none, register and upload your CV with your qualification and Check details, and a recruiter can look at your profile when an Adelaide service briefs us. A listing is not a job offer.