PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ECEC EDUCATORS
MANAGING ILLNESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Picking up where first aid stops, this practical, evidence-informed illness management training is for all early childhood educators and directors.
THE GAP NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
⇢ When a child walks in looking off.
⇢ Or a family mentions that their child vomited once this morning but is totally fine now.
⇢ Or you get the "but that child is sicker than mine."
You still find yourself hesitating and not quite sure what to do (or say) next. That's not a failure of effort. It's a gap in training.
First aid covers the scary-maybe-moments. The accidents. The emergencies. The hope-it-never-happens events.
Everyday childhood illness is different. It's not a maybe. It's not an emergency. It's inevitable, and it happens in your service every single day, with or without a clear protocol to follow.
WHY THIS COURSE EXISTS
This course doesn't replace the Staying Healthy Guidelines.
It brings them to life.
It shows you how to effectively manage childhood illness alongside your NQS and EYLF requirements, to not only meet them, but exceed them.
STAYING HEALTHY GUIDELINES
THE WHAT
Staying Healthy outlines what your requirements are. They tell you the standard you need to meet.
NQS + EYLF
THE WHY
The NQS and the EYLF define why you need to meet them. They establish the purpose and the obligation.
SICK HAPPENS
THE HOW
This PD training shows you how to implement it, so that you're not just compliant. You're exceeding.
COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY
This course isn't just good professional development. It directly supports your service's obligations under the National Quality Standard, and strengthens the foundations several other quality areas depend on. Assessors notice when your team is prepared, confident and consistent.
Educational Program and Practice
Children's Health and Safety
Physical Environment
Staffing Arrangements
Relationships with Children
Collaborative Partnerships with Families
Governance and Leadership
WHY THIS MATTERS RIGHT NOW
Three of the four frameworks governing illness management in your service have changed in the past two years: The Staying Healthy Guidelines 6th edition (2024), the WHS Model Code of Practice for biological hazards (March 2026), and the NQS itself (refined January 2026). The fourth, the EYLF, is unchanged. This course is checked against all four.
Download The Regulatory Alignment Guide
This guide shows how every lesson is cross-referenced against the EYLF, NQS, Staying Healthy Guidelines and Safe Work Australia's Model Codes of Practice, down to the actual section, element or outcome.
(Correct and current as of July 2026)
DOWNLOAD GUIDEFROM THE FOUNDER
I'm an experienced Paediatric Nurse with 15+ years of clinical experience. I've sat with thousands of families in some of their most frightening moments, and I have two boys of my own who have certainly done their part in contributing to the daycare germ economy.
But here's what I kept noticing from the clinical side: educators were managing sick children every day without any formal training to do it. Not because they didn't care. Because nobody had built the training that actually addressed it.
First aid covers emergencies and accidents. Allergy and asthma management has its own course. But everyday illness, the thing that walks through your door every morning, lives in a regulatory grey zone where every director writes their own policy and every educator figures it out as they go. The Staying Healthy Guidelines are incredible, yet Educators still feel confused everyday.
— PENNY BLUNDEN, FOUNDER
WHAT'S INSIDE
Self-paced.
Evidence-informed.
Designed specifically for the messy-middle, grey-zone, daily-reality of the early childhood education and care sector.
Module 1: FOUNDATIONS
Module 2: ASSESS
Module 3: RESPOND
Module 4: PREVENT
Module 5: CONNECT
★★★★★
"The Sick Happens course for educators is a fantastic resource, and different to any other professional development opportunity I've experienced. Engaging and informative, it gives clarity around common questions that arise about childhood illnesses... Lots of ideas to inspire critical reflection, especially around quality areas 2 and 6. This course would be a worthwhile investment for all educators and leaders working in early childhood services. Highly recommend."
Melissa, Early Childhood Teacher
★★★★★
"Thank you for creating a course to educate the early childhood sector, for when 'sick happens'. Ensuring all our educators are equipped with correct and factual information so they can be confident in assessing a sick child, and empowering them to have the sometimes tricky conversations with the child's family."
Sarah, Assistant Director
★★★★★
"I've been a paediatric GP for 15 years, working with anxious parents through their children's illnesses, and I cannot fault or improve on a single word of the advice Penny so generously shares."
Paediatric GP
MORE THAN ILLNESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING
This isn't just ticking a professional development box. It's building something that makes your entire service run better.
A CONSISTENT FRAMEWORK
Illness is handled the same way, by every educator, every time. No more differences in approach between staff or shifts.
A SHARED LANGUAGE
Between staff, between shifts, and between your service and the families you work with. Everyone saying the same thing.
A PROACTIVE CULTURE
That reduces burnout, minimises family conflict and protects children, before illness becomes a crisis.
SIMPLIFIED DECISION-MAKING
No more second-guessing. No more policy confusion. No more "I wasn't sure what to do so I just..."
A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE IDEAL & THE REAL
Where compliance, safety and teamwork meet the daily realities of limited staffing, family pushback and inevitable sickness.
FLEXIBLE OPTIONS
Whether you're an individual educator looking to upskill, or a director investing in your entire team — there's an option for you.
FOR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATORS
UPSKILLING STARTS TODAY
$299
INC GST
ONE TIME FEE
NO LOCK-IN CONTRACTS
✅ 6-month access to all content
✅ Learn at your own pace
✅ Practical skills & confidence
✅ Access to all BONUS downloads
✅ Certificate of Completion for your PD Portfolio
FOR WHOLE SERVICES
CONSISTENT TRAINING ACROSS THE WHOLE TEAM
$2999
INC GST
ONE TIME FEE
NO LOCK-IN CONTRACTS
✅ 12 month unlimited access
✅ No staff number limits
✅ New staff can upskill at no extra cost
✅ Access to all BONUS downloads
✅ Certificate of Completion for all validated staff
Want an information pack to share with your Director or colleague? Download here ↓
QUESTIONS
WHO SHOULD COMPLETE THIS TRAINING?
Anyone who works with babies and children. Early childhood educators in public and private settings, room leaders, directors, nannies, au pairs, babysitters, and OOSH and after-school care coordinators. If children are in your care — and they get sick — this course is for you.
IS THIS DIFFERENT TO FIRST AID?
Very different. First aid covers accidents and emergencies → the maybe stuff. This course covers everyday childhood illness → the inevitable stuff. The fevers, the rashes, the dehydration, the grey areas first aid doesn't touch. Managing Illness in Early Childhood Education picks up exactly where first aid stops.
IS SICK HAPPENS AN RTO?
No. Sick Happens is not a Registered Training Organisation. This is valuable, practical professional development, not a compliance checkbox. The Certificate of Completion is suitable for your Professional Development Portfolio and demonstrates genuine upskilling in illness management.
DO STAFF RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE?
Yes. Every staff member who completes all modules receives a Certificate of Completion for their Professional Development Portfolio.
IS THERE A STAFF NUMBER LIMIT FOR THE SERVICE ACCESS OPTION?
No. All staff from your individual service can complete the training under the service licence, including new staff who join during the access period. All staff need an email address from your service's domain (for example, @yourcentre.com.au).
Using a personal email? Just let me know and I'll sort it.
ARE THERE ANY LOCK-IN CONTRACTS?
None. You pay once. No hidden fees. No automatic renewals.
DO YOU OFFER MULTI-SERVICE SUBSCRIPTIONS?
Yes. Groups of 5 to 9 centres are $2,400 per centre, and 10 or more centres are $2,000 per centre (inc GST). Contact Penny and I'll set it up for you.
FREE RESOURCE FOR EDUCATORS
Tricky chats get easier when you've got the right words to begin.
DOWNLOAD NOWHAVE A QUESTION?
For multi-service subscriptions, bulk pricing, or a session built specifically for your team, get in touch.
NEED SOMETHING MORE TAILORED?
Penny also offers customised, in-person training built around your service, your team and the specific challenges you keep running into. If the standard course isn't quite the fit, just ask. Penny responds to every enquiry personally.
WANT TO BRING THIS TRAINING TO YOUR SERVICE?
Download the Information Pack and share it with your director. It covers everything they need to make the decision → course overview, NQS alignment, pricing and more.
INFORMATION PACK