How to Get Child Care Training

Caring for children can be a truly rewarding career. Working parents need and appreciate the security that good care provides for their children, from infants to school-age. The training you will need to succeed in child care can be obtained in several ways.

Things You'll Need

• Volunteer or paid experience with children
• High school diploma or GED
• Proof of citizenship or immigration status
• Clean legal record
• Character references
• Access to community college or other educational facility
• Course fees or financial aid

Instructions

Obtaining child care training

1. Seek preliminary training by working at an accredited or licensed child-care facility. Such facilities include day care centers, home-based family day care and nursery schools. To apply for jobs where you can receive training while working, be prepared to give information about your educational background, legal status and personal character. Unlike jobs where you handle merchandise or do paperwork, child-care jobs require evidence of how you work with other people and what personal characteristics make you suitable for taking care of children. Expect to work with supervision and to follow a lot of directions. Working as a teacher's assistant or as a clerical staff person will give you some of the training needed to provide good child care.

2. Plan to go back to school for formal child-care training. Training as a CDA (Child Development Associate) is usually offered through local community colleges and involves taking from 6 to 12 classes, some required and some elective. Most classes are scheduled for working students. Contact community colleges in your area for course schedules, fees and possible financial aid.

3. Contact your city, county or state-level child-care council or department of education if community-college information is not available or accessible. They can also provide additional information on how to finance your education. Working for a variety of community and family-service agencies may provide you with sponsorship, training and financial support.

4. Look beyond the CDA to college-level training. As child care becomes an increasingly professionalized field, responsible jobs reflect greater educational requirements. Courses in child development, psychology, administration, assessment and educational theory play an important part in a successful child-care career. The more you learn, the more you can offer to the children in your care.