Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore whether the self-direction mediates the structural relationships between parental autonomy support and the career adaptation of pre-service childcare teachers.Methods: The participants in this study were 272 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade the departments related to child studies and childcare in the region of Gangwon and Gyeongbuk, Pusan, Seoul, Daegu. The study assessed the topics of career adaptability, self-direction and parental autonomy support among pre-service childcare teachers using a questionnaire. The SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0 programs were used for the data analysis. The maximun likelihood estimation (MLE) method was used to examine the model fit. Goodness of fit was evaluated using absolute fit indices SRMR, RMSEA and well as relative fit indices CFI and TLI.Results: Results revealed th following four major findings. First, parental autonomy support was found to affects the career adaptability of pre-service childcare teachers. Second, self-direction was found to affect the career adaptability of pre-service childcare teachers. Third, parental autonomy support was found to affect the self-direction of pre-service childcare teachers. Finally, parental autonomy support was found to indirectly affects career adaptability of pre-service childcare teachers through self-direction.Conclusion: This study makes a meaningful contribution by determining relationship between the factor of patental autonomy support, self-direction, and career adaptability among pre-service childcare teachers. Given that self-direction was found to mediate the relationship between parental autonomy support and career adaptability of pre-service childcare teachers, it is suggested that parental autonomy support is a important environmental factor involved in developing self-direction.