Blue cards for childcare services
You will need a blue card if you are a person or business owner/operator providing childcare services.
Employees
If you are paid to provide childcare services you will require a blue card. Childcare is care of a child provided:
- by someone other than a relative or guardian of the child
- for reward
- part of a service for regularly providing care of children.
Examples
A blue card is needed for a:
- babysitter (including babysitters under the age of 18) who babysits the neighbour’s children for payment.
- nanny, au pair or demi pair employed by an agency or a family
- a person employed to chaperone children, such as looking after child actors on the set of a film or television show.
- a person who receives free or subsidised accommodation in return for looking after children, as this is considered a reward, will need to apply for a paid blue card.
- a person employed by a facility that operates a crèche service to care for children while parents are attending classes or programs. For example, a hotel kids club or gym creche.
- a registered nurse who also independently provides nanny services to children. As this falls beyond their professional duties as a registered health practitioner a blue card is required.
A blue card is not needed for:
- a relative babysitting a child.
For services such as day care, kindergartens, family day care, outside school hours care etc please refer to the Education and care services.
Business owners or operators
If you are a business operator or owner, you will need a blue card if:
- your business includes providing childcare on a commercial basis, or
- your business will be carrying out activities in a place or vehicle where childcare is being provided
Examples
A blue card is needed for a:
- a business owner of a cleaning business contracted to clean the hotel kid’s club facilities.
- person starting their own business to provide babysitting and nanny services to children.