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Ministry-approved title: Child and Youth Care
Child and youth care practitioners provide support and understanding to young people and their families. This six-consecutive-semester program teaches students to engage with children, youth and families in their everyday lives to promote optimal development and facilitate positive changes by using the principles of relational practice.
Designed to prepare students to provide frontline treatment services to young people with complex special needs, students will receive specific education and skill development in child and youth care. In-class learning is complemented by three competency-based field placements supervised by qualified clinicians.
Graduates of the child and youth care program are equipped to work in various settings, including community-based agencies, residential programs, educational environments, and early intervention services, where they can apply their expertise to support children and youth facing challenges.
Durham College (DC) offers pre-admission assessment testing to mature domestic applicants to meet admission requirements in English and/or Math. Domestic applicants who are 19 years of age or older as of the start date of their program, and who do not have the required program credit(s), i.e. Grade 12 English and/or Grade 12 Math are eligible to take an admissions assessment test.
Learn more about how to book Pre-Admission Assessment Testing here.
DC also offers Academic Upgrading. Courses are FREE and designed to help you meet the admissions requirements for this program. Available to individuals 18+, these courses are offered on campus at DC. Boost your qualifications with:
Learn more about Academic Upgrading and connect with our team to get started.
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The Child and Youth Care diploma program prepares you for rewarding careers supporting children, youth and families in various settings. This qualification opens doors to positions where you can apply your specialized knowledge and relational practice skills to foster positive development in young people.
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The Child and Youth Care program offers a foundation for students seeking to build meaningful careers supporting young people. This intensive program combines academic rigour with practical field experience, preparing graduates to address the complex needs of children, youth and families in various settings.
This advanced diploma program is a three-year, fast-track program delivered over two calendar years. Students must complete academic and field placement components during the spring and summer of both years.
This program blends theoretical knowledge with practical experience to prepare graduates for the complex and rewarding field of child and youth care. Through immersive learning opportunities in various settings, students develop the expertise needed to support children and youth facing diverse challenges.
Designed to prepare students to provide frontline treatment services to young people with complex special needs, students will receive specific education and skill development related to:
Our child and youth care program emphasizes evidence-based approaches that address the developmental needs of children and youth in various contexts. Students gain hands-on experience through field placements in community agencies, schools, residential settings and child and youth care facilities.
The curriculum encourages self-reflective practice that will enable you to explore your values, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions related to human behaviour and relationships. Students develop critical thinking skills that are valuable for assessment, intervention planning, and evaluation in various care settings. Faculty work closely with students to support skill development and growth in communication techniques, counselling theory, and practice.
The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.
Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
In person
Students will come to campus to complete in-person learning requirements. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
The field of child and youth care offers diverse and meaningful career paths for graduates with a passion for supporting young people’s wellbeing and development. With a Child and Youth Care diploma, students are well-positioned to pursue professional roles in child and youth care programs and community support services.
School is an investment in your future, and financial support is available to help you succeed.
DC's Financial Aid and Awards is here to help you access funding and opportunities that make pursuing your education easier and more achievable:
Visit Financial Aid and Awards to explore all the options to help finance your education.
Your learning will be complemented with three competency-based field placements supervised by qualified clinicians. These placements will occur in a variety of children’s mental health agencies and school settings in Durham Region and its surrounding area.
Please note: There are costs associated with Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC), immunizations, lab tests and certifications. Keep all your receipts for income tax purposes. These costs include:
It is required that students have completed the ESPC with Verified to be eligible for the field placement component of the child and youth care program. You must (at your expense) provide:
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Qualified graduates may be eligible to apply their academic credits towards further study at Durham College in graduate certificate programs such as Victimology and Victim Justice and Interventions as well as Autism and Behavioural Sciences and Communicative Disorders Assistant.
Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:
Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.
Looking for more pathway opportunities or to transfer to Durham College? Click here for more information.
To help students have the best learning experience possible, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified technology recommendations for each program based on course needs and software requirements. While not required, students may want to consider these suggestions if they are purchasing a computer or laptop for the upcoming academic year.
Processor: i3 RAM: 4GB Storage: 256GB SSD Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional or Education x64 SP1 Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 11 or Google Chrome (newest version) or Firefox (newest version) Network Adapter: 802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter Camera: Webcam/built-in camera Internet connection
Questions regarding technology recommendations can be directed to the IT Service Desk.
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