Early Learning and Child Care Certificate (Year 1)

Early Learning and Child Care programs are offered full-time or part-time through classroom, online, workshop, home study, and blended delivery. The Early Learning Child and Care Certificate is the first year of the Early Learning and Child Care Diploma.

Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) professionals work with children 0-8 and their families. Knowledge of child development, family dynamics, play, and program planning enable ELCC professionals to support the healthy development of children through a variety of child-centered learning experiences. Working with families, they provide support and promote optimum development for each child.

The certificate year blends theory and practice to enable students to be prepared to plan developmentally appropriate activities and programs based on the ages, abilities, and interests of the children in their care.

Each classroom course is 45 hours and 3 credits. The online equivalent of each of these courses is three 15 hour 1 credit courses. Students are strongly urged to enroll in 1 credit per month, NOT in all 3 credits at the same time.

Note: BVC has developed a Challenge Process to enable learners to demonstrate Prior Learning for the ELCC certificate. For more information contact 403-410-1474.

Courses in Program

• Child Development: An Introduction
• Health, Safety and Nutrition in Early Learning and Child Care
• Introduction to Early Learning and Child Care
• Program Planning for Early Learning and Child Care
• Guiding Young Children’s Behaviour
• Fundamentals of Written Communication
• Interpersonal Relationships and Communication Skills
• Developing Through Play
• Creative Expression in Early Learning and Child Care
• Literacy and Curriculum in the Early Years
• Basic Computer Skills for Human Services Workers
• Early Learning and Child Care Practicum I
• Early Learning and Child Care Practicum II
• Early Learning and Child Care Practicum III
• Basic Computer Skills for Human Services Workers

Online Equivalents - ELCC Certificate Courses (PDF - 6.1 KB)

Please contact the department for more information by calling 403-355-4660.
Note: the part-time program is subject to non-refundable fees and Students' Association fees.

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Part-Time Schedule

WINTER 2012

Guiding Young Children's Behaviour
Dates: Jan. 12 - April 19, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Literacy & Curriculum in the Early Years
Dates: Jan. 10 - April 17, 2012 (Tue)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Fundamentals of Written Communication
Dates: Jan. 7 - April 21, 2012 (Sat)
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Early Learning and Child Care Practicum I
Early Learning and Child Care Practicum II
Early Learning and Child Care Practicum III
Dates: Jan. 5 - April 25, 2012

Practicum Seminars

(6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
Jan. 11 & 25, 2012 (Wed)
Feb. 8 & 22, 2012 (Wed)
March 7 & 21, 2012 (Wed)
April 4, 2012 (Wed)

Support Strategies Courses:

Speaking With Confidence
Dates: Jan. 5 - February 9, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Advocating for Yourself and Others
Dates: Feb. 16 - March 22, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Summaries, Paraphrases, Direct Quotes & Citations
Dates: March 29 - April 19, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

SPRING 2012

Program Planning for ELCC
Dates: May 1 - Aug. 7, 2012 (Tue)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Child Development: An Introduction
Dates: May 3 - Aug. 9, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Early Learning and Child Care Practicum I
Early Learning and Child Care Practicum II
Early Learning and Child Care Practicum III
Dates: April 30 - Aug. 17, 2012

Practicum Seminars

(6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
May 9 & 23, 2012 (Wed)
June 6 & 20, 2012 (Wed)
July 4 & 18, 2012 (Wed)
Aug. 8, 2012 (Wed)

Support Strategies Courses:

Improving Listening, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Skills
Dates: May 3 - May 31, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Identifying Biases & Building Cultural Awareness
Dates: June 7 - July 5, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

The Importance of Reading Aloud
Dates: July 12 - Aug. 9, 2012 (Thu)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

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Admission requirements

Note: the Admission Requirements published in the BVC January-June 2012 Course Guide are incomplete. Please use the correct and complete requirements below for your application.

Academic Requirements

•     Credit in either English 30-1 or 30-2 or equivalent

OR:

•     Successful completion of the General Equivalency Development test (GED) with a standard score of 520 in Language Arts: Reading and Writing

OR:

•     Satisfactory results on the BVC Admissions Test

OR:

Successful completion of nine, one-credit Support Strategy Courses, as follows:

• Sentence Structure and Child Care Vocabulary
• Verbs, Pronouns and Punctuation
• Writing Paragraphs and Basic Essays
• Speaking With Confidence
• Advocating for Yourself and Others
• Summaries, Paraphrases, Direct Quotes and Citations
• Improving Listening, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
• Identifying Biases and Building Cultural Awareness
• The Importance of Reading Aloud

Followed by six credits in Early Learning and Child Care courses as listed above under Courses in Program for a total of 15 credits

Pre-Program Requirements
The criteria listed below must be completed prior to practicum placement:

• Current Police Information Check (PIC) with vulnerable sector search

English Language Proficiency Requirement

This page has information on English Language Proficiency Requirements

Transferability

Graduates of this program may be accepted into:

• Bow Valley College - Early Learning and Child Care Diploma Year 2
• Lakeland College - Early Learning and Child Care Diploma Year 2
• Medicine Hat College - Early Learning and Child Care Diploma Year 2
• Grand Prairie Regional College - Early Learning and Child Care Diploma Year 2
• Mount Royal University - Early Learning and Child Care Diploma Year 2

Some transfer available from: 

• Lethbridge College
• Medicine Hat College
• Mount Royal University
• Prairie College of Applied Arts and Technology
• College of the North Atlantic
• Heritage College
• Red Deer College
• St. Joseph College
• Mothercraft College
• Calgary Board of Education