Do you love small children? Do you think you have what it takes to teach them important life, social, and academic skills? If you said yes to both of these questions then maybe it is time for you to think about pursuing a career in child development. In this profession you can expect to work with children who range from birth to age five. It will be important that you are able to work with children to help them build a solid foundation in language, motor skills, social skills, and emotional skills. Take that first step and find a childhood development training program today, you'll be glad you started. In order to be qualified to work as a child development professional you will likely want to obtain your Child Development Associate certification. It is important to understand that not all states require this certification in order for you to be qualified; some states will allow you to work in this capacity with only a high school diploma. However, if your state of residence requires that you are certified as a Child Development Associate (CDA), then you can expect to meet these requirements: have a high school diploma, have a minimum of 120 hours of recent formal childhood education, and have completed at least 480 hours of working with children in the past few years. While not all employers require it, you can typically expect to be required to complete CPR certification prior to employment. Take a few minutes and request a free information packet from any of the schools on our site that appeal to you; this will help you to make an informed decision so that you will be ready to begin your career in this profession.
With some degree of formal training in child development you will be able to seek employment as a day care teacher, as a pre-school teacher, or you can manage an in-home childcare center. In a position as a day care teacher or a pre-school teacher you will use an age appropriate curriculum to teach the children socialization skills, help them develop their language skills and vocabulary, and to encourage creative thinking. It is quite common for individuals in this industry to begin their work as an aide or assistant and to then advance to the primary teaching role. Should you decide to open, or manage, an in-home childcare center you should be prepared to have certain state regulations that you will have to meet. For instance, the regulations will specify the adult to child ratio and each person will have to pass a background check. In addition, a reputation for safety and good care will be important in this capacity. The colleges listed below offer early child development degree programs that should fit your educational criteria. Be sure to ask them what other programs they offer in this field as well as if they offer financial aid to help pay for your training.