Infant Care Specialist Certificate

The three-course certificate program will teach you the foundations of early child care, including: basic child development, health and safety, nutrition, and behavior management and discipline. The first course includes practical guidelines for child care and explores options for careers and vocations in early child care. You will learn the foundations of early childcare, including basic child development, health and safety, nutrition, and behavior management and discipline. The foundational application focuses on the identification of normative similarities and differences of intellectual, emotional, social, and physical theories at each developmental stage in early childhood. The fundamentals of family microsystems, family types, and the subsequent macrosystems are explored in order to design appropriate child care providing strategies.

As a career technical education course, the course has a competency-based focus across three key areas: knowledge, skills and abilities, and behaviors and characteristics. Practical guidelines for childcare and exploration of options for careers and vocations in early childcare are weaved into the competency themes including supporting child development, caseload management, accountability, communication, monitoring and enforcement, and leadership. You will gain a deeper understanding of the roles adults and caregivers in professional areas of service providing for the needs of infants and toddlers.

Upon critically assessing theoretical and practical research on appropriate elements of caregiving to facilitate decisions for a healthy environment designed for infants and toddlers, you will create a final project presentation at the end of the first course.

The second course is an introduction to topics common to childcare providers, including: licensing, record keeping and insurance; safety, facility preparation and regulations; illness and injury prevention; creative and enriching activities; communication with parents; and menu planning. You will learn practical guidelines for building and/or working in successful and nurturing childcare environments.

The third course is an interdisciplinary study of physical, social, emotional and intellectual development from birth to 12 months of age which includes: exploration of the impact of culture, atypical behavior and development, socialization techniques, interpersonal relationships of child and caregivers, and suitable environments for health and safety. For your final project, you will create a digital presentation to share, providing a thorough summary of a personalized infant care plan.

• Live face-to-face classes
• Collaborative project-based learning
• 24-hour tutoring
• Live counseling available
• 24-hr library services
• Career Counseling
• Professional development
• High quality professionally designed courses
• No textbook fees

Upon successful completion of the first course, you will be able to:
1. Identify and describe normative similarities and differences of intellectual, emotional, social and physical theories at each developmental stage in early childhood, especially in infants and toddlers
2. Critically assess research of theoretical and appropriate practical elements of caregiving to facilitate decisions for a healthy environment designed for early childhood, especially in infants and toddlers 
3. Apply knowledge of family microsystems, family types and the subsequent macrosystems to childcare providing strategies
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the roles of adults and caregivers in professional areas of service providing for the needs of infants and toddlers 

Upon successful completion of the second course, you will be able to:
1. Define the State of California Family Child Care Homes and childcare centers licensing
requirements.
2. Identify successful childcare business practices and develop policies and procedures for
staff relations and supervision.
3. Identify developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor childcare learning environments.
4. Demonstrate menu planning and health and safety practices and regulations for infant and
toddler caregiving environments.
5. Develop a handbook to strengthen relationships and enhance communication with clients,
caregivers, staff and community.
6. List childcare daily routines and age-appropriate curriculum.
7. Identify strategies to promote cultural continuity.

Upon successful completion of the third course, you will be able to:
1. Identify and describe normative similarities and differences of intellectual, emotional, social, and physical theories at each developmental stage from prenatal through 12 months.
2. Assess research of theoretical and appropriate practical elements of caregiving to facilitate discussions regarding developing a healthy environment for children during their first year of life.
3. Evaluate the effects of society and culture upon infant microsystems, family types, and the subsequent macrosystems with which they co-exist.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the roles of adults and caregivers in infant professional areas of service.