Infant-Toddler Specialization Certificate of Achievement

Infant-Toddler Specialization Certificate of Achievement (18 units)

This certificate prepares students to care for infants and toddlers in a range of educational settings. This certificate satisfies the specialty area in Infant /Toddler Care for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Child Development Permit and also licensing requirements for infant-toddler centers. It includes the 12 units found in the ECE 1 COA plus two additional courses (or an additional 6 units) of Infant/Toddler specific education

Our current COA in Early Childhood Education requires 44 Units. We currently offer the proposed  ECE 1: Foundations in Early Childhood Education Certificate of Achievement (12 units) as a skills certificate and are in the process of converting any remaining skills certificates to COAS. We have been awarding approximately 36 - 50 skills certificate each year and expect to award 36+ students certificates each year. College of Marin has offered these courses for many years but has not offered a Certificate of Achievement in Infant Toddler Specialization. Based on our current enrollment and history of offering these courses, we expect 45 -60 successful completions each year.

A student who completes the required courses for the Infant-Toddler Specialization Certificate of Achievement (18 units) satisfies the specialty area requirements in Infant/Toddler Care for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Child Development Permit and meets licensing requirements for infant-toddler care centers. This certificate program equips students with a comprehensive understanding of the skills necessary to provide quality care for infants and toddlers.

This achievement exceeds the minimum qualifications for teaching infants and toddlers in privately funded early childhood education programs (Title 22, California Social Services Code of Regulations) and qualifies students to work as Associate Teachers in publicly funded early childhood education programs (Title 5, California Code of Regulations).

12 Unit ECE 1 Foundations COA + ECE 218 Infant/Toddler Development & ECE 219 Care for Infant Toddler

Infant-Toddler Specialization

ECE 1: Foundations in Early Childhood Education Certificate of Achievement (12 units

• Choose one course (Total 3 Units)

AND

• Required Core (Total 9 Units)

AND Infant-Toddler Specialization

At College of Marin: 

• ECE serves 249 students on average; 201 are ECE Majors
• Only 4 students received a Certificate of Achievement in Early Childhood Education This is across three years of data. 
• This is less than 2% of all ECE majors (1.6%)
• Students are earning the one and only certificate we have with an average of 101.5 units
• An associate’s degree is 60 units on average. A BA is 120 units.
• On average it takes ECE students 8.4 terms (~2.8 years) to earn the certificate

Integration of Program Review Findings for COA Rationale

• Addressing High Unit Completion Rates: ECE stackable certificates streamline the pathway for students, reducing excess unit accumulation often seen in  associate degree paths. With certificates requiring fewer units and emphasizing targeted skills, students can achieve workforce-ready credentials faster, minimizing the financial and time burdens of prolonged study.
• Improving Time to Completion: Certificates demonstrated shorter completion times compared to associate degrees. By breaking longer programs into  smaller, manageable milestones, stackable certificates help students maintain motivation and progress toward advanced credentials incrementally, fostering higher completion rates.
• Supporting Diverse Student Needs: The variability in completion times for degrees (2–5+ years) underscores the need for flexible options like stackable  certificates. Many students, particularly working adults or first-generation learners, face challenges that impede    consistent enrollment. Stackable certificates allow these students to pause and re-enter their education while still  achieving recognized credentials.

There are no conflicts or negative impacts expected in offering this certificate considering 1) the enormous demand in this industry, and 2) College of Marin already offers the program as a skills certificate. We are aligning to best practice as evidenced by the certificate structure for ECE across many bay area.