Blue cards for education and care services
The education and care service category is an environment based category. This means you will need a blue card if you enter or perform any work within an education and care service premises while children are present.
An education and care service is a service, other than a school, that provides regular education and care to children under 13. This includes:
- childcare and kindergarten
- outside school hours care
- family day care
- vacation care.
Employees and volunteers
If you are working or volunteering within a education and care service premises while children are present, a blue card is required.
Examples
A blue card is needed for:
- Early childhood educators at a kindergarten or day care (including family day care).
- Educators or support staff at a outside school hours care.
- Cleaners, cooks, maintenance people, or anyone else entering a kindergarten.
- Grandparents or other relatives (other than parents) who wish to volunteer in their child’s kindergarten or day care.
- Any adult who lives in a home where an education and care service is provided, including people who are not normally in the home while children are present. For example, if a family day care is run from a person’s home, every adult occupant of the home (even if they are not in the house during operating hours) requires a blue card,
- A person who supervises a student’s practical placement in a kindergarten. For example, a person assessing a student’s work while they are doing a placement within the kindergarten would need a blue card.
- A tradesperson whose work is performed while children are present, including entering the premises to consult with staff before doing any work.
- A student, including under the age of 18 doing a practical placement in an kindergarten, day care or before or after school care facility.
- A registered teacher who takes school children from the school into a kindergarten as part of a class activity - Will need an exemption card.
A blue card is not needed for:
- A parent dropping or picking up their child/children from kindergarten or day care.
- A person doing work outside the operating hours of a kindergarten, day care or before or after school care. For example, a tradesperson who only does work at night or on the weekend does not need a blue card.
- A parent volunteering in their own child’s activities.
If you are doing work as part of a child minding business or working as a nanny or au pair, refer to the childcare services category.
Business owners and operators
You will need a blue card if your business provides any services or activities within a education and care service premises while children are present.
Examples
A blue card is needed if:
- you own or operate a education and care premises. For example, you operate a family day care, child care centre, kindergarten, outside school hours care service, or vacation holiday program for children and young people
- your business actives will include servicing a education and care premises while children are being educated and cared for. For example, a bus company employed by a day care to transport children or a tradesperson entering a child care or outside hours school care service during the hours of operation.
A blue card is not needed if:
- your business is performing work at a education and care premises while no children are present. For example, if you run an air conditioning business and are servicing the air conditioning units during the holidays or on a weekend a blue card is not required.