Program Overview
Gain the knowledge and practical experience needed to support children's learning as they grow with the two-year Early Childhood Education (C100) diploma program. Study the developmental stages of infants (from six weeks), toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children (to 12 years) and learn how to design educational programming and respond to a child's unique needs and interests.
You will also engage with families and the broader community.
This program alternates between in-class learning and field placement to help you develop confidence in your skills as you apply concepts from the classroom to a real-world setting. This approach prepares graduates to hit the ground running as soon as they enter the workforce.
Your Field Education Options
- Students in the Early Childhood Education program will complete a seven-week field placement each semester. During this time, students have the opportunity to work with children of different age groups in a variety of settings.
- Field placement provides a continuum of experience that gives students the opportunity to integrate and apply theory to practice.
- To support student learning outcomes and ensure you have access to facilities that model the best practices we consider essential, we operate Ontario's largest network of college-run lab school child care centres that serve over 1,000 children and their families each year. These 12 child care centres, located across Toronto, will expose you to the kinds of environments where you will eventually work and provide valuable services to the families and communities they serve.
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity, including Indigenous peoples' world views and Francophone identity.
- Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children's learning, holistic development and well-being following children's capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.
- Co-design and maintain inclusive early-learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings.
- Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early-learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.
- Use observation strategies to identify children's strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources.
- Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children's service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector.
- Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one's own role in early years and child care settings.
- Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.
- Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, interdisciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services.
- Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.
Accelerated Option (16 Consecutive Months)
- For students who are eager to enter the field of Early Childhood Education and are able to study without any significant breaks, we offer an accelerated stream that runs for 16 consecutive months (4 continuous semesters). For more details visit our Early Childhood Education (Accelerated) (C160) program.
Fast-Track - Direct Entry (10 Months)
- You may qualify for the fast-track program if you have a diploma or degree in a related field. For details visit program C130.
Canada,Ontario 
