Early Childhood Educator

Early childhood educators work with infants, toddlers, and preschool and school-aged children in a variety of settings.

Contact

Child Care Staff Certification Office
Government of Alberta
6th Floor, Sterling Place
9940 - 106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2N2
Canada

Legislation

Under the Alberta Child Care Licensing Act [pdf] and the Child Care Licensing Regulation [pdf], staff working in licensed day care, out-of-school care, group family child care and preschool programs must have child care staff certification within 6 months of commencing employment and before having unsupervised access to children. Certification is also required as per the Alberta Family Day Home Standards [pdf] for staff working in approved family home agencies.

What You Need

There are 3 levels of certification: Child Development Assistant, Child Development Worker and Child Development Supervisor. The level of certification is based on the education completed (not work experience).

Child Development Assistant certification may be granted if the applicant has completed one of the following:

• The Child Care Orientation Course sponsored by the Government of Alberta
• CCS 3110, 3120, 3130, 3140 and 3150 offered through Alberta high schools
• A 45-hour (3-credit) post-secondary course in child development
• The Step Ahead Family Day Home Training or Family Child Care Training Program through an approved Alberta family day home agency registered with the Alberta Family Child Care Association (AFCCA).

Child Development Worker certification may be granted if the applicant has completed one of the following:

• A 1-year early learning and child care certificate program offered by an Alberta post-secondary school
• An approved educational equivalency. If the post-secondary education was completed outside of Canada, refer to the Certification Guide to determine if a language proficiency assessment will be required.

Child Development Supervisor certification may be granted if the applicant has completed one of the following:

• A 2-year early learning and child care diploma program offered by an Alberta post-secondary school
• An approved educational equivalency. If the post-secondary education was completed outside of Canada, refer to the Certification Guide to determine if a language proficiency assessment will be required.

For more information about the certification requirements, educational equivalencies and application process, see the Certification Guide on the Government of Alberta website.

Working in Alberta

Early childhood educators who are certified, registered or licensed to work in a regulated child care setting elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for certification in Alberta. For more information, see What if I am already certified in another province or territory in Canada? and the Alberta regulator.

The certification information in this profile may change at any time and without notice. Before making any career decisions, we advise you to contact the regulatory organization or visit their website for the most updated information.