Requirements to work in regulated group child care - Alberta

 

All staff working with children must be certified within six months of employment.  There are three levels of certification:

  • Child Development Assistant:
    • Completion of a 58-hour government-sponsored orientation program delivered through classroom, distance or online; or
    • The required Career and Technology Studies credit courses that focus on early learning and child care offered through Alberta high schools; or
    • A 45-hour (three-credit) college-level course in child development.
  • Child Development Worker:
    • Completion of a one-year ECE certificate from an approved public college or an approved private vocational school with at least one college/university level English or French course; or
    • Completion of an approved equivalent educational program with at least one college/university-level French or English course; or
    • Completion of the Alberta Life Experience Equivalency Process (LEEP).
  • Child Development Supervisor:
    • Completion of a two-year ECE diploma from an approved public college or an approved private vocational school with at least one college/university-level English or French course; or
    • Completion of an approved equivalent educational program with at least one college/university level French or English course.

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.