The Early Care and Education program is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in Early Childhood Education. The Associate Degree is organized with standards from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This program is offered in three separate concentrations: occupational, arts/science and business.

The Occupational Concentration is designed for those students planning to teach in an early childhood development center or a Headstart program or to work as a teachers aide in public schools. The Arts/Science Concentration is designed for those students who plan to transfer to a four-year institution and pursue a baccalaureate degree, while the Business Concentration is designed for those students who plan to start their own child development center as a business.

This program offers students a basic understanding of the needs of young children and the training to implement quality preschool programming. Students also learn growth and development principles, teaching methods, safety and first aid, discipline techniques, developmentally-appropriate curriculum methods, techniques for promoting effective family/program partnerships, and principles of ethics and leadership in early care and education. Career-ladder title of graduates for HeadStart and DSS purposes is Early Childhood Lead Teacher.
The associate degree does not lead to teacher certification and is not
a part of the transfer block.

Special Admissions Requirements
Meet the specific program requirements outlined for admissions
Complete a physical exam, including T.B. screening and hepatitis vaccines.
Satisfactory police or government record check to indicate no prior child abuse or neglect record.
Infant and Child CPR certification and a First Aid course.


EARLY CARE & EDUCATION/ARTS/SCIENCE CONCENTRATION
SEMESTER CURRICULUM MODEL