HD in Child and Youth Care

Students enrolled in this program are eligible to register for our Specialized Academic Certificate, Indigenous Knowledges: First Peoples in Canada, and earn an additional credential. A fee may apply. For more information, click here. This program will be delivered using a combination of modalities. Courses will be taught mostly face-to-face, butmay ocassionaly be taught online or in a blended/hybrid combination of both online and traditional classroom teaching. In the Child and Youth Care program, you'll develop the knowledge and skills to advocate for children, youth and their families as you learn to encourage them to be more resourceful and to confidently use their voices. This three-year Child and Youth Care program will examine the principles, philosophies and characteristics of relational child and youth care practice from child and youth-centred, developmental and ecological perspectives (1). It will also cover themes related to professional boundaries, child and adolescent mental health, psychology, counselling theories, crisis theory, intervention and counselling (group, individual, family), abuse, advocacy and anti-oppression. As a graduate of this advanced diploma program, you'll be ready to provide prevention and early intervention strategies, assessment, treatment, and counselling to children and adolescents who may be in crisis, struggling with psychological challenges, or who are dealing with other stressful situations. As such, you'll become a valuable member of the mental health profession and use your knowledge and skills to provide life-changing support from a strength-based paradigm. Child and youth care practitioners engage and work with children, youth and their families across a wide variety of settings, including community-based child and youth development programs, parent education and family support, school-based programs, community mental health, group homes, residential centres, day and residential treatment programs, early intervention, home-based care and treatment, private practice, psychiatric centres, rehabilitation programs, paediatric health care, child protection and youth justice programs (2). (1) Adapted from Child & Youth Care Program Standards (2022), Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. (2) Settings adapted from the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice and Child and Youth Care Certification Board (2010), "Competencies for Professional Child and Youth Work Practitioner". Once you complete the Child and Youth Care Program, you'll be able to: Develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with children, youth and their families, respecting their unique life spaces, and applying the principles of relational practice to meet their needs. Assess the strengths, developmental and holistic needs of children, youth and their families, using methods grounded in theoretical frameworks, research and therapeutic practices, to develop care and intervention plans. Develop and implement care and intervention plans appropriate for the therapeutic milieu using evidence-informed practices and research to provide support for children, youth, and their families. Use equitable and inclusive approaches that are anti-colonial, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and strength-based frameworks, as well as cultural humility, to create positive and sustainable solutions and respond to inequities and to systemic barriers experienced by children, youth and their families. Advocate for, and in solidarity with, children, youth, their families and communities through their participation in the development and implementation of care and intervention plans that uphold their rights. Employ communication, collaboration and relational skills with the inter-professional team and with community partners to ensure and enhance the professionalism of practice. Engage in self-inquiry, relational inquiry and critical reflection to develop strategies for learning and the practice of self-care, as a practitioner. Use professional development resources and supervision to increase professional capacity, learning and leadership skills. Adhere to relevant legislation and Child and Youth Care standards of practice, competencies, and codes of ethics as a practitioner. Practice in a variety of contexts and settings, respecting needs for developmental growth, safety, wellbeing and agency, while addressing the varying age and developmental ranges of children, youth, and their families. Employ crisis prevention and intervention techniques, and harm-reduction principles, with children, youth and their families in the provision of care, to ensure their safety, resolution of crises, and reparation of relationships. Develop the capacity to work with children, youth and families who identify with Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities, as well as people in LGBTQ2+ and disabled communities, by identifying systemic inequities and barriers, integrating practices such as trauma-informed care, and respecting their inherent rights to self-determine Synopsis of the Vocational Learning Outcomes: (MTCU, September 2022) Accreditation Centennial College’s Child and Youth Care Advanced Diploma program has earned accreditation from the Child and Youth Care Educational Accreditation Board of Canada as a provider of quality post-secondary education in the field of Child and Youth Care, effective April 21, 2021 to April 20, 2028. Also Available: Child and Youth Care (Part-Time) Child and Youth Care (Online)