Foundations and Standards in Early Childhood Specialization (Certificate)

The Merced College Child Development Department offers students classes and training to meet California requirements for credentials and licenses, as well as an Associate of Arts in Child Development (AA) degree and an Associate of Science in Early Childhood Education for Transfer (AS-T in ECE) degree. Preparation includes transfer level courses with several that meet general education requirements and Certificates of Achievement. Throughout all courses, students are trained culturally sensitive and family-focused perspectives that emphasize the value of individual differences in your children. The Child Development Department works closely with many community programs to meet the specific needs of the early care and education workforce.

Students are strongly encouraged to transfer to a 4-year college or university. In several courses, students are given information about pursuing their bachelor, masters, and doctorate degrees. In particular, classes, information, materials, and workshops on the California Teaching Credential Child Development Permit Matrix are shared. The permit matrix covers entry level positions through a master’s degree option. To increase the likelihood that students will transfer, students are required to develop an education plan with a counselor. Increasing numbers of our students are transferring to pursue degrees in child development, liberal studies, and other related fields.

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The Child Development Department proposes to create a Certificate of Achievement: Child Development - Foundations and Standards in Early Education Specialization. This Certificate directly aligns with the California Child Development Permit; a credential required for employment in the field of Child Development and Early Childhood Education, issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. To advance on the permit matrix, students must obtain specialized units. As such, students who complete this proposed Certificate of Achievement will be considered eligible for an upgrade of “Site Supervisor” Permit. Likewise, the courses associated with the Certificate will be articulated with the California Early Childhood Curriculum Alignment Project (CAP), which partners to streamline pathways to degree completion.     

This proposed Certificate will not only serve current Merced College Student’s but will allow degree completed professionals from the community to and advance their careers and meet the new Transitional Kindergarten laws in the TK-12 school system. As such, the Child Development Program will be enhancing the Early Childcare and Education workforce of those working with children and their family’s birth through school age. The Standards/Foundations in ECE Certificate being proposed will fill a current gap in Merced College’s Child Development Program in supporting this new legislation. While the Foundation courses were already developed, they are just now being entered into a rotation to be offered to meet this new need in our community. With approval of this proposed Certificate, the courses will not only begin being offered regularly, but will also be updated to reflect contemporary content and best practice. In addition, the courses will be linked to a Certificate of Achievement in Child Development Program, not offered at Merced College before.

The students would have to fulfill all the requirements for degree completion at Merced College. Total Units will be 18-24 units.

 Some teachers will arrive with 6 ECE units in ECE. Teachers who do not come with 6 units of ECE, may choose 6 units from the following courses: