Early Childhood Education (Part–Time) Program (C910)

Program Name: Early Childhood Education (Part-Time) (C910)

Program Code: C910

Credential: Ontario College Diploma

Method of Study: Part-time

Duration: 3-5 Years

Centre: Community Services & Early Childhood

School: Early Childhood

Location: George Brown College at Toronto Metropolitan University

Starting Months: September, January, May

Winter 2022 Delivery: Early Childhood Education classes that start January 2023 will be delivered in a hybrid model with 80% delivered online and 20% delivered in-person.

Are you ready to join the early years workforce as a trained early childhood professional?

Knowledgeable and responsive early childhood practitioners are essential to early childhood settings" (Early Learning Framework, ELECT 2006)

The Early Childhood Education Act (2007) requires membership in the College of ECE for anyone wishing to use the title of Early Childhood Educator in the province.

Full Description:

Earn an Early Childhood Diploma on a part time basis by taking one to three courses per semester in the evenings.

The Early Childhood Education (Part-Time) (C910) diploma will prepare students for an exciting and rewarding career working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school aged children. Graduates of this program will be capable of responding to the changing needs of young children in a variety of early childhood settings including child care programs, schools, family resource programs, home child care, hospital playrooms, agencies for exceptional children and before and after school programs (Full Day Kindergarten or FDK).

Throughout this program, students will learn the theory of how to work with young children and get the hands-on practice they need to meet the responsibilities of a career in early childhood education.

By balancing academic courses with hands-on experience, students will learn to:

  • Develop and maintain positive relationships with children
  • Assess the needs and interest of children
  • Develop and evaluate curriculum
  • Work in partnership with families and community
  • Create safe, stimulating and culturally sensitive environments for children in their care
  • Work as effective team members in child care settings, full day kindergarten and school based programs

Courses:

In this part-time program, students have the flexibility to study at their own pace and can take up to three courses per semester. This program can be completed in as little as three years but can take up to five years for those who need more time.

Academic courses are offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the evening.

Your Field Education Options

Field experience plays a significant role in equipping students with the skills they need to work with children of different age groups in a variety of settings. In this program, students can expect three six-week field experiences.

Please note that while the course delivery component of this program can be taken part-time, the field placement experiences are delivered on a full-time basis (hours vary from 8:30am-6pm, five days a week).

Part of the field experience may be delivered through one of George Brown’s own child care centres. We own and operate 12 child care centres across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Each centre models the theories we teach and follows the industry best practices we consider essential.

Prior to starting any field placement experience, this program has special requirements from placement partners and as mandated by Public Health and Ontario legislation. Please see the Admission Requirements section for details.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

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

How to Qualify and Apply:

Prior to starting this program, students must:

Special Requirements

In compliance with requests from our student placement partners and requirements from Public Health and Ontario legislation, all students in this program must have completed the following prior to beginning field placement:

  • Standard First Aid with CPR level C course
  • Police Vulnerable Sector Check
  • Medical Clearance

Students who are unable to provide completed field clearance documents may be unable to complete their field placement and, therefore, be unable to complete the program.

For more information on the ECE Field Placement requirements, please email ece@georgebrown.ca

To start the application process to this part-time program, please complete this form.

Contact Us:

School of Early Childhood

Phone: 416-415-5000, ext. 2310
Email: ece@georgebrown.ca
Our office hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For more information about George Brown College, you may also call the Contact Centre at 416-415-2000 or long distance 1-800-265-2002.

Land acknowledgement

George Brown College is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.


Learn more about our land acknowledgment