The complete reference to the Children's Services Award MA000120 for long day care, preschools, kindergartens and outside-school-hours care providers — coverage, classifications, penalty rates, allowances, minimum engagement and Fair Work compliance.
The Children's Services Award MA000120 covers long day care, preschools and kindergartens, outside-school-hours care, and other children’s services. Getting coverage right matters — it drives the classification structure, penalty rates, and allowances that apply to every shift. Applying the wrong award creates systematic underpayment exposure.
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Current classification rates, penalties and allowances from the FWO Pay Guide.
How Fitz compares for childcare services on the Children's Services Award.
Penalty rates under MA000120 for weekend and public holiday work, as a percentage of the ordinary hourly rate:
| When worked | % of ordinary rate |
|---|---|
| Saturday (FT/PT) | 150% |
| Saturday (casual) | 175% |
| Sunday (FT/PT) | 200% |
| Sunday (casual) | 225% |
| Public holiday (FT/PT) | 250% |
| Public holiday (casual) | 275% |
Casual employees receive a 25% loading; the casual penalty percentages above are all-inclusive of that loading, not stacked on top.
A sample of the full-time minimum rates. See the Children's Services Award pay rates page for the full table, streams and casual rates.
| Classification (full-time) | Hourly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|
| Support worker level 1.1 on commencement (support worker) | $26.44 | $1004.90 |
| Support worker level 2.1 on commencement (support worker) | $26.93 | $1023.40 |
| Support worker level 2.2 after 1 year (support worker) | $27.82 | $1057.00 |
| Support worker level 3.1 on commencement (support worker) | $29.45 | $1119.10 |
| Level 1 - Introductory educator (childrens services employee) | $28.81 | $1094.80 |
| Level 2 - Educator (childrens services employee) | $29.69 | $1128.40 |
| Level 3 - Qualified educator (childrens services employee) | $32.47 | $1233.90 |
| Level 4 - Experienced educator (childrens services employee) | $34.65 | $1316.70 |
| Level 5 - Advanced educator (childrens services employee) | $36.57 | $1389.50 |
| Level 6 - Room leader (childrens services employee) | $38.25 | $1453.50 |
| Level 7 - Assistant director (childrens services employee) | $40.00 | $1519.90 |
| Level 8 - Director (childrens services employee) | $46.12 | $1752.70 |
The Children's Services Award sets a minimum period an employee must be paid for each time they are engaged:
| Allowance | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Broken shift allowance | $21.38 | per day |
| Excess fares allowance (working away from usual workplace) | $17.22 | per day |
| First aid allowance (Level 1/2, not in out-of-school-hours care) | $12.65 | per day |
| First aid allowance (Level 1/2, in out-of-school-hours care) | $1.68 | per hour |
| Meal allowance (overtime) | $16.12 | per occasion |
| Laundry & ironing allowance (full-time employees) | $9.74 | per week |
| Laundry & ironing allowance (part-time or casual employees) | $1.95 | per day |
| Laundry allowance, no ironing (full-time employees) | $6.14 | per week |
Operating under MA000120 creates obligations beyond paying the correct rate:
See the Fair Work compliance pillar guide and how Fitz HR compares for childcare services.
Fitz HR is grounded in the current Pay Guide MA000120. Ask any question and get an instant, specific answer.
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