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.
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. Child Development Permits are issued by the Commission on Teacher Preparation, the same organization that issues credentials to K-12 teachers. The The new Permit Matrix offers a variety of permits, each requiring a different level of education and giving the holder varying degrees of authority.
Licenses---Licenses are given to programs (not people) by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing. A child care center or family day care home must have a license to stay in business. You may take care of the children from one other family (besides your own) without being licensed. For more information on obtaining a license call the local CCL office at 588-5026. They are located at 101 Golf Course Dr. Suite A-230, Rohnert Park, CA 94928.
Certificates--- The Child Development Department at SRJC offers two certificates. Our certificates parallel the Associate Teacher and the Teacher levels of the Child Development Permit. 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. Our Certificates
