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Childcare & Development

Drake State’s Child Care and Development Program offers current and aspiring daycare teachers and aides the ability to earn a certificate which meets minimum requirements of Alabama Head Start and Child Care Standards. Students learn to use state of the art teaching strategies to teach basic skills and concepts to children in all subjects. Teacher assistants provide instructional and clerical support for classroom teachers. They may also tutor and assist children.

Earn your childcare and development certificate


Child Development Associate (CDA) Short Term Certificate

The Child Development Associate (CDA) Short Term Certificate prepares a student to enter the child care industry as an assistant teacher in a classroom. This degree track meets the education component requirements for students who want to obtain their CDA.

Students must complete 420 clock hours of approved training in a child care facility within the last five years in addition to courses listed to sit for the national credentialing exam with the Council for Professional Recognition.


Child Care & Development Short Certificate

The Child Care and Development Short Certificate provides training in child care and development for daycare teachers, aides and others who wish to pursue careers as day care or nursery school teachers, HeadStart professionals, etc. This program allows child care workers to meet the minimum requirements of Alabama Head Start and Child Care Standards.

Program learning outcomes

  • Outcome 1: Child development and learning
    Apply knowledge of child development to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child.
  • Outcome 2: Family and community relationships
    Support and empower families to promote their children’s development and learning.
  • Outcome 3: Observation, documentation, and assessment
    Demonstrate competence in child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment. Apply assessment strategies to positively influence the development of every child.
  • Outcome 4: Developmentally effective approaches
    Understand and apply a wide array of tools to positively influence each child’s development and learning.
  • Outcome 5: Meaningful curriculum
    Design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for children.
  • Outcome 6: Professionalism
    Demonstrate ethical and professional conduct and make informed evidence-based decisions.
  • Outcome 7: Employability
    Utilize critical thinking and work productively and with cultural sensitivity.

Scholarships

While tuition at community colleges like Drake State is relatively affordable for most, there are scholarship opportunities available to students through the ACCS Leadership in Child Care Scholarship.

  • Scholarship Deadlines
  • April 1 for Summer Semester
  • June 1 for Fall Semester
  • September 1 for Spring Semester

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Child Care and Development