Online Guide to ECEC Credentialing - Search Results

Yukon

• Requirements to work in regulated group child care

  All staff who are working in centre-based programs and who are included in the child-to-staff ratio must hold some type of Child Care Worker certification.  There are three levels of certification outlined in the Yukon Child Care Act, with an additional two levels of certification described in policy.  Each level also describes the number of hours of study that must be completed in various "streams", which include Health, Child Development, Self-Esteem, Methods, Field Placement and Electives.

  • Child Care Worker I: A person who has successfully completed a 60 hour introduction to Early Childhood Development course or equivalent. If two 30-hour courses are used, they must be from different streams;
  • Child Care Worker IA (in policy): A person with Child Care Worker I certification who has also completed additional course work in each of the streams described above, but has not yet completed one full year of training;
  • Child Care Worker II: A person who has successfully completed one year of training in Early Childhood Development or equivalent;
  • Child Care Worker IIA (in policy): A person with Child Care Worker II certification who has also completed additional course work in each of the streams described above, but has not yet completed two full years of training;
  • Child Care Worker III: A person who has successfully completed two or more years of training in Early Childhood Development or equivalent.

  In centre-based programs, 20 percent of staff must meet or exceed the Child Care Worker III qualifications, an additional 30 percent must meet or exceed the Child Care Worker II qualifications, and the rest must meet or exceed Child Care Worker I qualifications.

   

• Certification process

  The ECE certification process is administered by the Child Care Services Unit of the Family and Children's Services Division of the Department of Health and Social Services. An applicant requesting certification as a Child Care Worker should submit an application form and an official transcript of completed coursework, issued by the post secondary institution, to the Child Care Services Unit for assessment. Child Care Services may request that the applicant submit a course syllabus to assist in the assessment process.

  Applicants will receive a status letter in the mail within 20 working days from the date of submission. Applications are available at the Child Care Services Unit office located at 9010 Quartz Road in Whitehorse, Yukon.

  There are no residency requirements for certification.

   

• Applying for a higher certification level

  Individuals may apply at any time for a higher level of certification by completing an application form and submitting evidence of successful completion of their further education.

• Renewal requirements

  In most situations, certification does not expire.  However, if an individual has obtained a Child Care Worker III certification through equivalency, certification must be renewed on an annual basis.  In order to renew certification, the individual is required to complete an Early Childhood Development course in each year.  If the courses are not completed, the certificate will expire.

• Recognized post-secondary ECE programs in province

  Yukon College is the only post-secondary institution in the Yukon Territory that offers an ECE program.  Yukon College is recognized by the Department of Education. 

• Related qualifications acquired in province

  A degree or diploma in the Health and Social Sciences fields or a Bachelor of Education will be considered for equivalency for a Child Care Worker Level III. Applicants must first successfully complete a 45-hour early childhood development course. Applicants can then apply, along with all transcripts, for Level III Child Care Worker designation.

  If an applicant is granted a Child Care Worker Level III designation, there will be a requirement that an additional Early Childhood Development course be completed within a year and each year thereafter. Certification is granted on a yearly basis and includes an expiration date. All child care workers must then re-apply for their Child Care Worker designation and provide proof of successful completion of ECD/ECE coursework. If the requirements have been met, certification will be granted for another year. It is strongly recommended that the third or fourth Early Childhood Development course completed be a field placement course.

   

• Out-of-province ECE qualifications

  Applications for certification received from outside the Yukon Territory are assessed for compliance with the number of hours of study required for each level of certification in each of the learning streams, which include Health, Child Development, Self-Esteem, Methods, Field Placement and Electives. 

• Out-of-country ECE qualifications

  The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) recommends agencies across Canada to assist in the assessment of credentials obtained in countries outside of Canada.  While no such agency operates within the Yukon Territory, individuals may request assessment of their credentials at agencies located in other jurisdictions.

  In British Columbia, the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) assesses credentials from other countries to compare education earned outside of Canada to the general education ladder in Canada.  ICES reports offer a general comparability of the years and levels of study necessary to complete a program.

  Interested persons may contact ICES at the following address.  A fee is involved.

  International Credential Evaluation Service

  3700 Willingdon Avenue

  Burnaby, British Columbia  V5G 3H2

  Telephone: (604) 432-8800; Toll-free (within North America): 1-866-434-9197;

  Fax: (604) 435-7033

  Email: icesinfo@bcit.ca; Website: http://www.bcit.ca/ices/

  ICES notes that their evaluations are advisory in nature and do not guarantee, replace or supersede the assessments required by professional or trade associations or for admission to educational institutions or organizations.  The evaluation reports are designed to support and facilitate hiring or admission decisions made by employers, regulatory bodies and educational institutions.

   

• Appeals process

  Applicants may appeal the decision of the Director of Family & Children's Services to the Yukon Child Care Board.

• Requirements to work in regulated family child care

  Family child care providers require a Level 1 certification. They must be at least 18 years old and complete a 60 hour ECE course in order to be qualified to work in a family day home. Providers require a first-aid certificate and criminal records check.

• Additional information

  The Yukon Equivalency Committee was created to establish guidelines to assist in determining the specific qualifications for each level designation. The committee is representative of various stakeholders from the child care community.

  Further information regarding the number of hours of study in each of the relevant learning streams may be obtained by contacting the Child Care Services Unit in Whitehorse.

   

• Contact information

  Tammy Reinhart, Child Care Inspector and Program Consultant
  Child Care Services Unit, Division of Family & Children's Services
  Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Yukon
  9010 Quartz Road
  Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2Z5
  Telephone: (867) 667-3493
  Email: tammy.reinhart@gov.yk.ca