About this program

  • Credential Awarded: 2 Year Diploma
  • Campus: Welland
  • Code: 0105 P0105
  • Delivery Length: 1 Year
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Overview

Do you have a passion for education and the importance of fostering development in the early years? As an early childhood educator you will support early learning in a wide variety of educational programs and centres.

As an Early Childhood Educator, you support early learning in a wide variety of educational programs and centres. Graduates of this program attain their Early Childhood Education diploma in just one year.

Highlights
  • Over 375 hours of practical field placement experience completed concurrently with course work.

  • Diverse opportunities for employment including School Boards and Licenced Early Year environments.

  • Program meets the registration requirements for the College of Early Educators.

  • International employment/field placement partnership with Lerthah School in Thailand.

Career Opportunities
  • Board of education full-day early learning program
  • Camp or hospital playroom
  • Childcare centre
  • Community pre-school program
  • Extended day programs for school-aged children
  • Family and children’s agency
  • Family resource programs/EarlyON Centres
  • Home childcare
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Courses

Term one (Advanced Standing) (2024 Fall)
Code Course Name Credits
COMM1140 Essential Communication Skills for Community Services 3
EDUC1131 Arts and Science I 3
EDUC1330 Arts and Science II 3
EDUC1331 Naturalistic Observation Research Methods 3
PSYC1100 Introductory Psychology 3
SOCL1328 Child Abuse and Family Violence 3
PRAC1101 Field Placement I - Early Childhood Education 2
Term two (Advanced Standing) (2025 Winter)
Code Course Name Credits
EDUC1216 Diversity in the Early Years 3
EDUC1326 Stress and Resiliency 3
EDUC1232 Working with School-Age Children 3
EDUC1327 Entry to Practice 3
PRAC1104 Field Placement II - Early Childhood Education 2
Elective Information

Completion of additional General Education elective(s) 2 courses required

Term three (2025 Fall)
Code Course Name Credits
EDUC1130 Working with Infants and Toddlers 3
HDEV1123 Child Development 3
EDUC1133 Foundations of ECE - I 3
PRAC1204 Field Placement III - Early Childhood Education 4
Term four (2026 Winter)
Code Course Name Credits
EDUC1233 Foundations of ECE - II 3
EDUC1432 Program Administration 3
EDUC1433 Working with Families 3
HDEV1434 Child Health and Well-Being 3
PRAC1407 Field Placement IV - Early Childhood Education 5
Program Outcomes Term: 1244
  1. Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity including Indigenous peoples’ worldviews and Francophone identity.

  2. Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children’s learning, holistic development and well-being following children’s capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.

  3. Co-design and maintain inclusive early learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings.

  4. Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.

  5. Use observation strategies to identify children’s strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources.

  6. Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children’s service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector.

  7. Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one’s own role in early years and child care settings.

  8. Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.

  9. Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, inter-disciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services.

  10. Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.

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Admission Requirements

  • A Bachelor’s Degree in Education, with Primary/Junior focus and
  • Proof of English proficiency
Selection and Ranking

Applications are evaluated based on the published admission requirements. When the applicant provides proof of meeting the requirements, an offer of admission can be issued, provided space is available in the program.

Learn more about admission decisions.

Program Requirements
Criminal Record Check
  • A Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (CRC-VSS) which is less than 6 months old is required at the beginning of the program.
  • Students with criminal charges for convictions will be significantly limited in placement, clinical, and/or employment opportunities in this field. The decision of whether a student with criminal charges or convictions is eligible to secure a field placement ultimately lies with the field placement agency.
  • Field placements must be completed in order to graduate.
  • Students will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) in order to be cleared for placement/clinical. Please note, in order to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS), students must be 18 years of age or older. If a student is not 18 years of age or older at the start of this program, they will experience delays in progression through the program.

Communicable Disease Surveillance
  • The confidential Communicable Disease Surveillance (CDS) Form must be completed and submitted to Student Health Services prior to the start of the program.
  • Please view the CDS Form and Checklist for health requirements at niagaracollege.ca/cdsform/.
  • This process may take up to 10 weeks or more and requires a visit to your personal physician and/or a Public Health Department.
  • If the CDS process is not completed your placement, clinic or co-op opportunity will be denied.
First Aid and CPR
  • Current Standard First Aid certification and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Level C certification is required.
Physical Fitness
  • Students applying to the ECE program should recognize the physical demands involved in caring for children and may be required to lift up to 22.7 kilograms (50 pounds).
  • Additionally, some Boards of Education have instituted a fit for field test.
Transportation
  • Students are responsible for their own transportation in order to complete program requirements which may not be readily accessible by public transportation.
  • Program requirements could include co-ops, placements, volunteer requirements, practical labs, field projects, assignments, clinicals, or any other off-campus visits required as part of the program’s curriculum.
Computer/Technology Requirements

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have a Microsoft Windows 10 based desktop or laptop system that meets or exceeds the following general personal computer technology requirements:

  • A desktop or laptop system running on an updated Microsoft Windows 10 operating system.
  • Minimum 256GB SSD storage and 8 GB memory.
  • An integrated or peripheral video camera, microphone and speaker system.
  • Reliable internet connectivity with Broadband capabilities (a minimum download speed of 5 Mbps) is recommended.

Niagara College will not be able to provide support for systems different than the above specifications. Any provided software may not operate properly. Academic software for your courses (supported under the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system) will be made available for download and remote use. Access will also be provided to remote high performance computer labs if software downloads are not feasible.

Note: There is no support for Chromebooks or Apple products for this program. (learn more)

Computer/technology requirements may be subject to change without notice.

All costs associated with program requirements are the responsibility of the student.

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Availability

Domestic Applicants Apply
Legendfor intake status table
Open

Accepting applications

Waitlisted

Eligible applications will be placed on a waiting list

Closed

Not accepting applications

Suspended

No longer offered this term

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Tuition

The below is a tuition fees estimate ( what's this?) for the indicated start term. Tuition fees are set in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities fee guidelines.

Year: 2023-2024
Start Term: Fall

Expand each level below for a fee breakdown.

Year 1
Level three $2,557.44
Fee Breakdown for Level three
Fee Type Fee Cost
Tuition
$1,357.49
Ancillary Fees
$1,179.95
Material Fees
$20.00
Level three Total
$2,557.44
Level four $2,249.44
Fee Breakdown for Level four
Fee Type Fee Cost
Tuition
$1,357.49
Ancillary Fees
$756.95
Material Fees
$135.00
Level four Total
$2,249.44
Year 1 Total: $4,806.88
Estimated Program Total: $4,806.88
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My experience here at Niagara would never have been what it was without such a supportive faculty. They are so helpful and they are the ones who made my College experience such a great one.

Brad Loucks, program graduate
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