One of the greatest rewards of working with children is learning how to see the world through their eyes. If you love caring for young children, our Early Learning and Child Care program will help prepare you for a fulfilling and playful career in this field.
It has been widely recognized that the early years of a child’s life are essential for healthy development. Child care providers play an important role in this time of a child’s life and they need to have an understanding of working with children, families and communities. Child care providers are now being recognized and valued by both families and government more than ever, making this an ideal time to enter the field.
In the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) program, you will learn the importance of play in the lives of children, and our classes give you lots of hands-on learning opportunities. We play with art materials, story props, and science and math materials to better understand how children learn and how we can help teach them. Our program also gives you the opportunity to apply theory to practice every semester through a five-week practicum setting. You’ll be able to practice your communication skills, better understand child development, and provide developmentally appropriate programming for children.
Our ELCC program will help you work with children in a variety of settings or move on to other educational programs. Many students have said our program helped them grow on a personal level and was very useful when they became parents themselves. Others have entered specialized areas of child care, or assumed leadership responsibilities in a variety of settings.
We offer a one-year certificate program (Level 2 Certified) and a two-year diploma (Level 3 Certified), both providing certification under Alberta Family and Social Services. Wages in the field are generally dependant on the level of certification completed.
In the child care industry, you see how satisfied your client is every day. Working with children can be very rewarding, not only because you are helping them develop, but because they thank you for it in countless ways. Our program can help you secure employment in preschools, at child care centres and even in a Kindergarten classroom.
Graduates of this program will find employment opportunities with:
High School
High school diploma with
Mature Route
You may be admitted following appropriate advising and testing. A high school diploma is not required although you must present
Academic Transition Plan (ATP)
If you do not possess all of the admission requirements, the Academic Transition Plan (ATP) may provide conditional acceptance to this program, provided space is available. ATP is individualized to meet your needs.
Practicum
You are selected for practicum on the basis of academic performance, professional suitability, fitness and conduct, volunteer community service, and availability of practicum sites.
First Year (Certificate)Fall CHPC 120 Child Development I*CHPC 122 Interpersonal Relations ICHPC 123 Health, Safety and NutritionELCC 102 Development through Play IELCC 105 Practicum IENGL 123 Fundamentals of Writing and Speech
Winter CHPC 121 Child Development II: An Introduction to Children with Special Needs*CHPC 124 Language and LiteracyELCC 101 Introduction to Early Learning and Child Care*ELCC 112 Development through Play IIELCC 113 Music and MovementELCC 115 Practicum II
Second Year (Diploma)Fall ELCC 201 Fine ArtsELCC 202 Math and ScienceELCC 203 Interpersonal Relations IIELCC 204 Ecology of the FamilyELCC 205 Practicum III
Winter ELCC 211 Infant and Toddler CareELCC 212 Professional PracticeELCC 213 Inclusive Care and EducationELCC 214 Children in SocietyELCC 215 Practicum IV* Also offered through Distributed Learning
To successfully complete the certificate program you must:
To successfully complete the diploma program you must:
Upon completion of the Early Learning and Child Care certificate program, you may transfer into the Education Assistant program and obtain an EA certificate by completing:
EDAS 101* The Education Assistant in the ClassroomEDAS 102* Children with Social and Emotional DifficultiesEDAS 103* Children with Specific Learning DisabilitiesEDAS 110* Education Assistant Practicum I
*Also offered through Distributed Learning
As a graduate of the Early Learning and Child Care Diploma program, you are eligible to receive advanced credit in a number of degree programs.
Grant MacEwan University Receive up to two years or 60 credits toward a Bachelor of Applied Human Service Administration.
Mount Royal University Receive up to two years of credit toward a Bachelor of Applied Child Studies.
University of VictoriaReceive up to two years toward a B.A. in Child and Youth Care.
University of CalgaryReceive up to two years toward a BCR in Community Rehabilitation and Disability.
University of AlbertaB.Ed in Elementary Education (up to one year).
Athabasca University Receive up to two years or 60 credits towards a BPA Human Services. For more information consult the Athabasca University's Liaison Officer at Medicine Hat College.
Griffith University, Australia
Graduates with a diploma in Early Learning and Child Care are eligible to receive advance standing toward a Bachelor of Human Services in Child and Family Studies degree at Griffith University in Australia.
For more information, see the International Mobility Program, or contact the Early Learning and Child Care Program Coordinator.
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I graduated from the ELCC program in 2006 and went on to receive my bachelor of applied studies degree from Mount Royal University. I now have a position as a preschool teacher. We follow the Reggio philosophy, and I appreciate the ELCC program for teaching and encouraging this philosophy.
Ana Clark (DePaz)
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