Ozarka College

Philosophy
The Early Childhood Development program serves the training needs of child care providers who wish to meet the educational requirements set by the Early Childhood Commission.

Objectives
Upon completion of the program, students will

1. Maintain a proper learning environment for young children.
2. Understand stages of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development in young children.
3. Relate well to members of each child’s family.
4. Function on the job in ways that contribute to effective program operation.

The CDA National Credentialing Program is a major effort to enhance the quality of child-care by defining, evaluating, and recognizing the competence of child-care providers. Satisfactory completion of the Certificate of Proficiency program qualifies a graduate to write the Child Development Associate examination, which is administered by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition.

Students in this program who are not already employed in child-care can complete their required practicum experiences at Ozarka Kid’s Academy, a licensed facility located on the Melbourne campus.

Courses for this program will be offered on an as-needed basis only.

Applicants are admitted to this program only after meeting specific health and background criteria. Information is available from the Director of Ozarka Kids Academy.

Also, persons with little or no work experience would benefit from completing basic Child Care Orientation Training, a twenty-hour course. Information on availability may be obtained form Ozarka’s Director of Continuing Education and Outreach or the Director of the Ozarka Kids Academy.