Child Care Practitioner
- AAS - Career Program
- Department of Dept. of Education & Human Services
Make a difference while making a career as a child care practitioner
Experience the daily reward of seeing a child's face light up when he or she learns something new. Monroe Community College's Child Care Practitioner associate degree program combines both classroom learning in early child development (infant through age 8) with field work experience in actual child care settings. So while you build your knowledge you'll also build your résumé!
Upon graduation, the program prepares you for lead teacher positions in infant, toddler, preschool and pre-kindergarten settings. Other employment opportunities may include Education Coordinators in child care centers and positions that include early care curriculum development.
As an MCC graduate of this program, your job title could be:
- Childhood Development Teacher
- Pre-K Teacher
- Nursery School Teacher
- Nanny
CREATED TO PROVIDE A STRONG SET OF MARKETABLE EDUCATION SKILLS
Through MCC’s Child Care Practitioner degree, you’ll gain a competitive advantage in the job market through 120 hours of volunteer experience in a licensed child care center or Head Start facility.
Through your coursework and field experience, you will study all aspects of early care education, growth and development—including cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. The program also emphasizes writing and implementing curriculum and lesson planning, early literacy, and how to properly observe and assess children in this age range. Valuable skills for any early child hood learning environment!
Graduates will be ready to apply for positions at excellent child care centers like these:
- Stepping Stones Learning, Inc.
- Childtime of Rochester
- Generations Child Care
- Small World Daycare
Get in touch with Monroe Community College’s admissions office to learn more about the opportunities you can create with our Child Care Practitioner A.A.S. degree. Contact us at (585) 292-2200 or admissions@monroecc.edu.
CHILD CARE PRACTITIONER
A.A.S. Degree - Career Program
Department:Dept. of Education & Human Services
School(s): Community Engagement & Development
MCC Program Code: CD01
Description
This degree provides comprehensive course work for individuals who work with or plan to work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and early school age children up to age 8. Students will acquire a thorough understanding of principles of early care education, growth and development through an equitable, diverse and cultural lens. They will receive specific instruction on all aspects of developmental domains including cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. Focus areas will be on writing and implementing curriculum and lesson planning, early literacy in addition to properly observing and assessing young children. Students who complete this degree will be prepared to enter the early care work environment, including infant, toddler, preschool and pre-kindergarten settings. In addition, possible employment opportunities include program coordinators as well as positions which require an understanding of child development and effective learning environments for young children. Careers could include infant, toddler, preschool teachers, family engagement specialists, home visitors and K-12 teacher aids and assistants.
Program Learning Outcomes
1. Summarize specific early childhood developmental theories paying special attention to young childhood birth-age 8.
2. Explain the fundamental needs and developmental milestones of young children through an equitable, diverse and cultural lens..
3. Identify strategies that will enable early childhood professionals to successfully provide developmentally appropriate support and guidance.
4. Analyze the cultural influences and family dynamics in a young child's life.
5. Apply subject matter knowledge of early childhood (birth-age 8) concepts in work with diverse children through a field work experience in a group child care setting.
Employment Potential
For related jobs: Career Coach
Occupational Resource: https://www.onetonline.org
| Distribution Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| FIRST SEMESTER |  |
| ENG 101 College Composition OR ENG 200 Advanced Composition | 3 |
| MTH 150 Survey of Mathematics | 3 |
| ECE 150 Exploring Early Care and Education | 3 |
| ECE 151 Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Young Children | 3 |
| EDU 100 Introduction to the Teaching Profession | 1 |
| PSY 101 Introduction to Psychological Science | 3 |
First Semester Total: | 16 |
| SECOND SEMESTER | |
| ENG 215 Children’s Literature | 3 |
| ECE 130 Field Work Child Care Practitioner I | 3 |
| ECE 200 Developing Early Literacy | 3 |
| CRC 101 Practical Computer Literacy OR EDU 125 Technology in Education* | 2-3 |
| PSY 201 Developmental Psychology - Child | 3 |
| ECE 110 Seminar for Early Childhood Care Givers | 1 |
Second Semester Total: | 15-16 |
| THIRD SEMESTER | |
| ECE 152 Early Childhood Quality Practices for Professionals | 3 |
| ECE 250 Infant and Toddler Development | 3 |
| HUM 218 Working with Trauma Informed Care Skills | 3 |
| EDU 150 Performance and Presentation Skills for Educators | 3 |
| SCI 131 Integrated Science for Future Teachers I-The Physical World OR SCI 132 Integrated Science for Future Teachers II-The Living World | 4 |
Third Semester Total: | 16 |
| FOURTH SEMESTER | |
| ECE 230 Field Work Child Care Practitioner II | 3 |
| ECE 251 Family and Culture | 3 |
| EDU 230 Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| HED 116 Issues in Child Development and Health | 3 |
| OPEN ELECTIVE (SPC 141, BUS 104, HIS 111, OR HIS 112 recommended) | 3 |
Fourth Semester Total: | 15 |
| TOTAL CREDITS: | 62-63 |
Revised 3/29/2024