educator

shift leader

early childhood teacher

assistant director

cook

Only About Children

Management use to be great.. so much so we always had new people wanting to work at Melbourne central… now that we have a new director a lot of the educators that were at OAC MC for years have left which is a shame because these were passionate educators that were great with both children and parents. Simple things such as the director calling in casuals was an issue…. She either wanted to save money so the campus looked good on paper. having us all struggle and pushing our breaks while struggling with horrible ratios or even just hiring new casuals rather than keeping the ones that had been with us for years and we’re familiar of routines and more.  I believe the current director sees alot of the previous educators as a threat because we were all prone to speak up more compare to the new staff that had been hired. , alot of it is sugar coated. Imagine another parent approaching you expressing how much they have noticed this place has changed while expressing it will never be the same, This company is all about money and all of us are aware of it. I miss all our previous directors they were hands on and would help out if we needed it, we also didn’t struggle like this, it’s just gotten worse over time. I believe our director not be holding the position she is in. Constantly leaving the campus to go shopping or she is on the phone with her husband speaking in another language. This is unprofessional and we all see it. I HOPE one day they can really just sit down each educator and ask them what they truely think or see with a guarantee that what they say will not be held against them or for the director to know who said what. Good luck oac Melbourne central especially with what happened on the news.. 

Typical Day at Work:
A typical day involves setting up learning environments, greeting children and families, supporting routines like meals, rest time, and outdoor play, engaging in intentional teaching moments, and documenting observations for programming. I also collaborate with educators to ensure we meet each child’s developmental needs.

What You Believe You Learned:
I’ve learned how to be flexible, patient, and responsive to children's needs. I've also gained practical skills in behavior guidance, teamwork, and effective communication with families and colleagues. My placement helped me understand the importance of routines, documentation, and intentional teaching.

Management:
During my experience, I observed how important supportive leadership is in maintaining a positive learning environment. Effective communication from management helped staff feel heard and valued, and encouraged a culture of continuous learning.

Workplace Culture:
The workplace culture was warm, inclusive, and team-oriented. Educators supported each other, celebrated diversity, and worked collaboratively to create a nurturing environment for the children.

The Hardest Part of the Job:
The most challenging part was managing multiple responsibilities at once—especially during busy times like transitions. But with time, I learned strategies to stay organized and prioritize tasks without losing focus on the children.

The Most Enjoyable Part of the Job:
Building meaningful relationships with the children and watching their growth day by day was incredibly rewarding. Every smile, milestone, and little “aha” moment reminded me why I love working in early childhood education.



There is the cleaning, preparing the beds, activities and setting up for the new day. These things are the constant elements that must be done to the highest standards but the fun element is the planning of the  programme that takes in each child's ability and interests and then taking that to the next level, that helps each child evolve and grow. I love how this growth then transfers to oneself. So the teacher becomes the student. The best is when you can share this love of learning with like minded co-workers and the amount of resources, knowledge and items, is thus increased. Then bring in the family and work then becomes a village, who all join in to give the best possible start to these wonderful little humans. The hardest part of the job is working with a person who only thinks of themselves and not have the child as the focus. There is no I in Team!  The most enjoyable part of the job is when those little eyes light up and wonder flashes across their face. Then watching them take that wonder and recrate it as their own, priceless.

What is the best part of working at the company?
They provide proper guidance, the staff are so welcoming especially to an employee like me, who work as casual at Only About Children. Keep up the good. thank you so much.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful that I experience working in this company, is that some of the campus is that they will give you a shift and they will cancel it. Sometimes they will  shift you for 8 hours and they will sent you home after 3 hours working. That's so sad, next time they should put 4 hours, 5.5 hours. So that the casuals will accept the shift right away. Because it is so hard if you cannot get a casual if you need someone to assist you for the whole day. But I am so grateful that Mosman Campus is so good. Keep it up. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

This is a money making factory. Plain and simple. The children's education and welfare does not take priority above this.
The centres are aimed at being "elite" and yet do this inly in show to the parents. No art in the walls, no mess and no fun. The rooms are sterile and give the impression of a display village to make parents think this is "premium", where in reality the children are so devoid of stimulation it presents clearly in their development. 
Management are worse than the run of the mill childcare management, and that's really saying something. They will not hesitate to be rude, demeaning, cut your shifts etc should you not follow every demand made by them. 
Do not be fooled, there is no education happening here, just bells and whistles. Avoid like the plague.

Initially oac seems like a great company to work for, the centres are beautiful and modern. Eventually you realise that the company struggles to offer planning time but expects so much work from not only room leaders but assistants as well. Assistants do as much work as room leaders, but with less pay. Management doesn’t always listen or care about feedback from staff and most staff get overwhelmed and stressed because of this. There are so many staff meetings that are compulsory, and you’re expected to attend out of work hours events (Easter and Christmas parties) without getting paid. My experience with oac saw a huge staff turnover and many visits from DET. Casuals aren’t allowed to do many tasks (eg, serve food or do nappies) according to policies, so permanent staff are expected to pull most of the weight.

Was very difficult to understand at times what the role actually was as trainees mostly get left to fend for themselves. Understaffed constantly and poor time allocation. Pretty much just relieving breaks most of the time. You get a study plan but didn't work really well and The director was running more than one campus at the time and qualified staff were overworked and busy so couldn't train appropriately. Probably better now as it was during COVID. Staff themselves are great just very over worked.

Will not work there or in industry actually did more damage than good.



Only About Children(Oac) made my routine at work special every, it is including workplace environment  and coworker. 

The team work management support me to develop my abilities and skills such as decision making and activities development.

Oac has well organize to encourage and support multi culture both staff and family.

The hardest part of the job is to consider between spoil or follow the rule. Sometime it base on time, situation or individual case.

The most enjoyable part of the job is reaction from the children. It is challenging every moment while participate with them. They are my best little friends.


A typical day is filled with meaningful interactions with children, engaging in creative activities, and supporting their learning and growth. I’ve learned valuable skills in early childhood education, communication, and teamwork. Management is approachable and supportive, always encouraging professional development. The workplace culture is warm, inclusive, and collaborative. The hardest part is keeping up with the fast pace, but it’s balanced by the joy of seeing children’s progress. The most enjoyable part is building strong bonds with the children and watching them learn something new each day.

Wonderful ,positive atmosphere ,for children parents and staff! Typical day doing a brief on play experiences and meals and nap  times and difficult children for the day or sick children. I learn a lot in my day with them. The children are very dynamic and different and I always learn alot from them and write down what i learn each day! I enjoy teaching them to do finger painting and all the arts and crafts the most and yoga and reading books are my second favourtie. I love this age group 0-4 more then any other age group. I enjoy working with other staff and the parents and i enjoy the childrens company and enthusiasm to learn the most!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Educator 201 salaries reported	$37.49 per hour
Shift leader 52 salaries reported	$37.38 per hour
Early childhood teacher 44 salaries reported	$89,306 per year
Assistant director 38 salaries reported	$43.41 per hour
Cook 24 salaries reported	$32.83 per hour

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