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Early childhood is usually considered to be until age 5, when children are developing those initial skills towards self care. Though most EC qualifications in Australia at least go up to a minimum of age 8, usually age 12, as the theory and practical stuff is still aligned for all intents and purposes and many of us work with children across 0-12 ages. There's obviously a huge difference between a 6 month old and a 9 year old, but there's not so much between a 4 year old and a 9 year old.