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Child Care Assistant - Certificate

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Children are our future. Being an early childhood educator with a certificate from Southeast helps you prepare better means for them and all of us! The Child Care Assistant Certificate from Minnesota State College Southeast provides a learning environment to grow your early childhood professional education. Begin the first steps towards an education career with Southeast’s virtual child care assistant certificate online.

Career Area: Education & Human Services
Program: Early Childhood Education
Campus(es): Online


Major Details

Courses

Cost

Careers

Outcomes

Highlights

Instructors

 Major Details

Working with very young children is a complex job that requires competency and skill. Child Care Assistants help create a healthy, supportive, and safe learning environment where children can flourish. Research has shown that quality education and training of childcare providers is directly related to the increased social, cognitive, and emotional growth of children.

Minnesota State College Southeast's Child Care Assistant Certificate is 16-credits focused on physical, social, emotional, language, cognitive, and creative child development. Emphasis is placed on understanding the needs of the whole child and applying developmentally appropriate problem-prevention and positive guidance strategies. The Southeast certificate award provides the fundamental knowledge and opportunity to begin the application of learning in the field. This option fulfills the educational requirements for the National Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.

This 100% online Child Care Assistant Certificate Program from Minnesota State College Southeast offers a supportive distance learning environment for new and experienced early childhood educators. And because coursework can be completed online with local field experiences, the program is an ideal option for practitioners who are beginning their careers or already caring for children.

Southeast's courses require field experience in a licensed early childhood setting, working with children between the ages of 0-8. Students are directly evaluated during their field experiences throughout the program.

Upon graduation, you will be well prepared to enter the field of early childhood education and advance in early childhood education careers.

Apply now for admission to Minnesota State College Southeast

Cluster/Pathway

Career Field: Human Services
Cluster: Education & Training & Human Services
Pathway: Teaching & Training & Early Childhood Development & Services
Recommended high school classes and basic job/program skills

Download the Program Plan

 Courses

1) 1000 level (minimum) General Education courses required unless specified.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
ECED1102
This course will review the Minnesota requirements for orientation to childcare for Minnesota Child Care Rule 2 (Family Childcare) and Rule 3 (Center Childcare). Learners will be guided in completing and/or creating a plan for completion to meet the orientation requirements prior to beginning the Early Childhood Education course sequence. Students are required to pass a Minnesota background study with fingerprints and complete field experience hours during ECED coursework. (Corequisite: ECED1103 and/or ECED1104) (1 credits: 1 lecture/0 lab)
1 cr
ECED1103
This is part one of a two-part sequence to fulfill ECED1101. This course requires student experience in a licensed early childhood setting working with children between the ages of 0-8 (documented, licensed experience will be reviewed for advance placement). Students will be required to apply knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practice, understanding of the characteristics of children and families, and demonstrate respect for colleagues, children, and families. Students will observe, plan small group activities, and build relationships with children and classroom adults. Students are required to pass a Minnesota background study with fingerprints and complete field experience hours during ECED coursework. (Corequisite: ECED1102) (3 credits: 0 lecture/0 lab/150 OJT hours)
3 cr
ECED1104
This is part two of a two-part sequence to fulfill ECED1101. This course requires student experience in a licensed early childhood setting working with children between the ages of 0-8 (documented, licensed experience will be reviewed for advance placement). Students will be required to apply knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practice, understanding of the characteristics of children and families, and demonstrate respect for colleagues, children, and families. Students will observe, plan small group activities, and build relationships with children and classroom adults. Students are required to pass a Minnesota background study with fingerprints and complete field experience hours during ECED coursework. (Corequisite: ECED1102) (3 credits: 0 lecture/0 lab/150 OJT hours)
3 cr
ECED1132
This course helps students explore physical and social environments that promote learning and development for young children. It includes an introduction to basic child guidance techniques for individual and group situations. Emphasis is on problem-prevention and positive guidance strategies including recognition, communication, limit-setting, problem-solving, behavior modification, and visuals. Students are required to pass a Minnesota background study with fingerprints and complete field experience hours during ECED coursework. (Corequisite: ECED1102, ECED1103 or special permission from instructor) (3 credits: 3 lecture/0 lab)
3 cr
ECED1136
This course focuses on the role of early childhood staff in developing positive relationships with parents that enhance children's healthy growth and development. Working with children and families of varied racial, ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds within diverse communities is emphasized. Students compare child rearing practices and family structure of different cultures, explore parenting styles, family stress, building relationships between family, community, and schools, and identify methods of parent education. Students are required to pass a Minnesota background study with fingerprints and complete field experience hours during ECED coursework. (Corequisite: ECED1102, ECED1103 or special permission from instructor) (3 credits: 3 lecture/0 lab)
3 cr
ECED1150
This course provides an overview of development from prenatal through adolescence, including physical, social, emotional, language, cognitive, and creative development. Emphasis is placed on understanding the needs of the whole child and applying developmentally appropriate practices while reviewing a range of early childhood models and settings. The course will examine variations across cultures and interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Students are required to pass a Minnesota background study with fingerprints and complete field experience hours during ECED coursework. (Corequisite: ECED1102, ECED1103 or special permission from instructor) (3 credits: 3 lecture/0 lab)
3 cr
 
16 crs

Total Credits Required for this Major: 16

 Cost

Estimated Costs for this Major
Approximate Tuition/Fees: $3,585
Minimum Tool Cost: N/A
Books/Supplies: $700
Estimated Total: $4,285

 Career Opportunities

  • Nanny

  • Family Child Care Provider

  • Paraprofessional

  • Child Advocate

Use the MN DEED Career and Education Explorer Data Tool to learn about wages, job growth, and much more in this career field.

 Outcomes

Program graduates will be able to:

  1. Utilize their understanding of developmentally appropriate practice respective to the characteristics and needs of young children.

  2. Understand and value the importance and complex characteristics of families and communities.

  3. Develop partnerships with families, community, and educational professionals as well as additional service providers

  4. Design and implement outcome-based learning experiences through application of the knowledge in relation to goals, benefits, and uses of assessment.

  5. Use systematic, critical, and creative processes to apply ethical and professional decision-making.

  6. Demonstrate proficiency in gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information for the professional portfolio.

 Highlights

  • Online program offers supportive distance learning environment for new and experienced early childhood educators

  • Combination of child development, professional development, and career application courses

  • Huge national demand for highly trained early childhood educators

 Instructors

Rachel Daley

Rachel Daley has earned her M.A. in Education from Concordia University. After obtaining an A.S. degree at MSC Southeast, Rachel proceeded to SMSU to obtain a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. In addition to teaching at MSC Southeast since 2010, her career experiences include family childcare, nanny, director of religious education, childcare trainer, preschool teacher, foster parent, and substitute.

 

Majors in the Early Childhood Education program

Early Childhood Education - AAS

Child Care Assistant CERT

Early Childhood and Early Elementary Support/Tutor AAS

Early Childhood Development DIP

Early Childhood Education Transfer Pathway AS

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Logo
Learn about special financial assistance
available in the Early Childhood Education field