Child Development Department---
Frequently Asked Questions

1. I'm thinking of opening up my own Family Day Care home. What classes do I need?
   Child Care is regulated by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing. Presently you are not required to have had any classes in Child Development to operate a family day care home. However, we strongly advise you to become familiar with issues of child growth and development, curriculum design and implementation and the basics of running a successful business. Our department offers a number of classes that can assist you in this endeavor. For more information click here.
   
   
2. I'm confused. Can you explain the difference between a credential, a permit, a license and a certificate?
   It is confusing and the terms are frequently incorrectly interchanged. Here's what they mean.
   
   
   • Credential--- Credentials are issued by the Commission on Teacher Preparation for teaching grades K-12. Generally, in California you need a B.A. degree plus another year in a school of education to earn your credential. No credential is offered, nor is one needed to teach in a Children's Center or pre-school program in California.
     
     
   • Child Development Permit---A Child Development Permit is required to teach in a program that receives subsidies from the Child Development Division of the State Department of Education. These are sometimes referred to as Title V programs and they comprise about 20% of the Child Development programs in California. Permits are issued by the Commission on Teacher Preparation, the same organization that issues credentials to K-12 teachers. The new permit matrix offers a variety of permits, each requiring a different level of education and giving the holder varying degrees of authority. For more information on Child Development Permits click here.
     
     
   • Licenses---Licenses are given to programs (not people) by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing. You must have a license to operate a child care center or family day care home. You may take care of the children from one other family (besides your own) without a license. For more information on obtaining a license call the local CCL office at 576-2210. They are located at 50 D Street in Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
     
     
   • Certificates---The Child Development Department at SRJC offers five certificates. Two of our certificates parallel the Associate Teacher and the Teacher levels of the Child Development Permit. Others focus on School-Aged Children, Early Intervention, and Children in the Justice System. Certificates are obtained by taking the required classes listed. We believe that if you can only take a few classes, these would be the most valuable ones for you take. For more information on our certification programs, click here then scroll down to "Child Development".
     
     
3. I took some child development courses at another college. Will they count towards meeting licensing requirements?
   The determination of what course work meets the requirements of licensing is determined by their office. Our department cannot make that determination. See above for their phone number and address.

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