| Province(s)/Territorie(s): Alberta |
Alberta
All staff working with children must be certified within six months of employment. There are three levels of certification:
The Program Supervisor in a licensed day care program must hold a Child Development Supervisor certificate. At least one in every four primary staff working directly with children between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. must hold at least a Child Development Worker certificate. All other staff must hold at least a Child Development Assistant certificate.
All staff working directly with children in a licensed part-day preschool program or out-of-school care program must hold at least a Child Development Assistant certificate.
Staff have six months to obtain certification but may not have unsupervised access to the children prior to certification.
Note: Prior to November 2008, Alberta certified staff as Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3. The earlier classifications remain valid and are equivalent to certification as a Child Development Assistant, Child Development Worker and Child Development Supervisor, respectively.
For Child Development Assistant certification, a completed application form and photocopy of transcripts or verification of 45 hours of ECE college-level coursework, or completion of the Child Care Orientation Course must be sent to the Child Care Staff Certification Office.
For Child Development Worker and Child Development Supervisor certification, a completed application form and original transcripts/documents must be sent to the Child Care Staff Certification Office.
The processing time is approximately 2-6 weeks and there is no fee for certification.
See the certification guide for further information.
There are no residency requirements for certification.
Individuals may apply for a higher level of certification once additional educational requirements have been completed. Official transcripts, documents and/or proof of individual courses completed are sent to the Child Care Staff Certification Office requesting a reassessment.
Certification does not expire; there are no renewal requirements.
According to Child Care Licensing Regulation, the director may cancel a certification if he/she is satisfied that the certification was issued based on false or inaccurate information.
The Certification Guide for Child Care Staff contains a list of approved public colleges and private vocational schools in Alberta with recognized ECE certificate and diploma programs.
A number of post-secondary educational programs related to human services are considered equivalent and an individual who has completed such a program is eligible for certification. For a list of educational equivalencies, click on Educational Equivalency Chart.
A college-level English or French course is also required for certification as a Child Development Worker or Child Development Supervisor as part of, or in addition to, the completed educational program.
Individuals who have not completed a course of study, or who have completed a program not on the list above, may have their courses assessed against a Course Hours Equivalency Chart, which sets out the number of course hours required in five content areas for each level of certification.
Certification requirements are based on course hours in five categories:
For both levels of certification at least one college-level English or French course is required.
See Course Hours Equivalency chart located in the Certification Guide.
There are two routes to recognize competencies acquired through experience and informal learning for certification towards a Child Development Worker: the Life Experience Equivalency Process (LEEP) and the Bow Valley College Challenge process.
Individuals certified in Early Childhood Education as defined in provincial/territorial legislation in another province or territory that meets AIT requirements will be certified in Alberta at an equivalent level providing the original provincial credential/certificate/license is submitted.
If the applicant has not already achieved certification in another province or territory, an assessment of credentials will be required. Official transcripts and application form are submitted to the Child Care Staff Certification Office. All post-secondary ECE certificate and diploma programs are recognized, providing the home province/territory recognizes the educational institution. If the training program is from an educational institution not recognized by the provincial home jurisdiction, courses may not be assessed towards certification.
The Child Care Staff Certification Office conducts assessments of out of country post-secondary qualifications. Applicants must submit notarized English translation of official transcripts as needed. A college-level English or French course is required for certification as a Child Development Worker or Child Development Supervisor. Post-secondary credentials from an institution recognized in its home country may be recognized for assessment towards certification. See the Educational Equivalencies Chart for details.
Applicants may be referred or choose to have their educational qualifications assessed by the International Qualification Assessment Service (IQAS) to determine equivalency of their educational program when it does not match the Child Care Staff Certification Office Educational Equivalencies Chart. Assessments completed by IQAS are recognized by the by the Child Care Staff Certification Office.
Applicants may also contact one of Alberta's public colleges and request an assessment of their post-secondary coursework to identify gaps in training to determine what additional ECE courses are required to obtain equivalency to an ECE certificate or diploma.
There is no formal appeal process under the regulation, but the applicant must complete a Request for Reassessment Form to the Child Care Staff Certification Office to have their credentials reviewed again, stating the rationale for the request along with any new supporting documentation. The applicant is advised in writing as to the outcome of the reassessment.
There are no certification requirements for providers working under an approved family day home agency. However, providers must complete a first-aid course and have a criminal records check, including a vulnerable sector search, together with other requirements in accordance to the Family Day Home Standards Manual.
Family day home agencies must offer provider training in specific program elements and develop individual training plans based on those elements. These plans must address all areas that relate to the children and families they serve, and take into account any previous training providers have received.
The licence holder and each additional provider in a group family child care home must be certified at minimum as a Child Development Assistant. By September 1, 2012, the licence holder or an additional care provider must be certified at minimum as a Child Development Worker.
High school students who have completed required credit courses through Career and Technologies Studies or who have completed the Child Care Orientation course while in high school are eligible for a $2,500 scholarship to pursue post-secondary studies in Early Childhood Education.
Child Care Staff Certification Office
6th Floor, Sterling Place
9940 - 106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 2N2
Telephone: (in Edmonton and outside of Alberta): (780) 422-1119; Toll-free (Alberta only): 1-800-661-9754
Fax: (780) 427-1258
Copyright Canadian Child Care Human Resources Sector Council
Formerly funded by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program
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