Building a Career in Child Care in Canada
Child care professionals are responsible for taking care of and nurturing children, while creating a customized learning environment for every child. These professionals play a vital role in children's general and psychological well being, through well-structured curriculums, play activities, effective communication and responsive relationships.
Child care professionals may have to take care of infants, toddlers, preschoolers or school-age children, depending upon the organization they are employed with. However, they must be sensitive towards the needs of children, and should be able to plan and implement individual programs and curriculum to meet development needs of children and help them develop good habits, regardless of their job profile and employment setting.
Becoming a Child Care Professional in Canada
In order to become a child care professional in Canada, it's essential to undergo a formal early childhood education. Only those individuals who are qualified to work with young children and their families can enter this field. This program can help interested individuals equip them with the knowledge, understanding and skills to work with children. It is a two-year post-secondary full-time program that focuses on helping students gain an in-depth understanding of fostering physical, adaptive, emotional, social and cognitive development and learning in young children.
The early childhood studies program blends diverse fields of study, including
- Principles of psychology
- Child development
- Health and well-being of young children
- Development of children with special needs
The goal of an ECE program is to help students become sensitive towards the needs of young children, reflective in their practice, unbiased in their approach and aware of relevant legislation, procedures and policies and regulations to early childhood programs in social context. The program blends classroom studies and hands-on training in early childhood education lab schools, live projects and field placement at a child care centre Toronto.
Program Content
The two year program covers a wide range of subjects, including The Healthy Development of the Whole Child, The Learning Environment, Observable Child Development, Guidance and the Individual Child, Health and Wellbeing of Young Children, Principles of Psychology, Empowering Children's Independence, Understanding and Communicating with Families, Inclusion of Children with Special Needs, Preschool and School Curriculum, Advocacy and Emerging Professional and Child Abuse.
The students are prepared to plan individualized curriculum based on a thorough understanding of child development, utilize a variety of observation techniques and develop an effective communication and responsive relationship with children.
The graduates can work with nursery schools, child care centres, shelters for women, drop-in centres, children and parent-care centres, kindergarten classrooms, and child care centres Toronto.
Studying Early Childhood Studies in Canada
Centennial College Toronto offers both full-time and part-time programs in this field. The best part is that the college offers a great exposure to students by allowing them to experience and understand what high quality child care is about at their early childhood education centres. Practical experience is essential to finding employment after graduating from the college. Further, the program curriculum reflects current trends and directions in the ECE field. Apart from this, the program graduates can also apply their credits towards further studies at the university.
In order to apply for this program, interested individuals send their applications to the college along with a copy of secondary school diploma certificate or equivalent and scores of English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent. They also need to obtain an annual clear police check with vulnerable sector screening, and valid certificates in CPR and First Aid and a clear medical report.
