Early Care and Education Assistant Certificate

Description

The Early Care and Education Assistant Certificate is designed to prepare students to support developmentally appropriate experiences for young children in high quality early learning environments.  Students will be introduced to the facets of developmentally appropriate practices, and will be taught effective strategies to promote positive guidance practices that enhance the learning environment for diverse groups of learners. 

Additional Requirements for Early Care and Education

In addition to meeting general admission requirements, Early Care and Education majors are required to meet the specific requirements outlined below:

• Credit towards graduation requirements for ECE courses more than five years old must be approved by the program director.
• A grade of “C” or better is required for ECE courses fulfilling prerequisite and graduation requirements.
• A student must be able to enter and/or remain in all lab and/or field experiences to progress within the ECE program. Prior to the first day of lab or field experiences, students must provide proof of eligibility to work with young children by completing the following forms that are available from the program director:
  • South Carolina Department of Social Services Health Assessment and Medical Statement forms documenting that the student has no significant problems that would interfere with their ability to care for children including tuberculosis status.
  • South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Check for Criminal History or federal (FBI) fingerprint-based criminal history background check indicating a record that complies with South Carolina Department of Social Services Child Care Regulations.
  • Tri-County Technical College ECE Discipline Policy indicating adherence to positive child guidance techniques.
  • ECE Self-Assessment of Technical Standards
  • In addition to College tuition and fees, ECE students will incur expenses for professional liability insurance and supplemental printed materials. Student should contact the program director for additional details.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• Promote child development and learning
• Use developmentally effective approaches

Graduation Credits Required: 18