Child and Youth Care (compressed)

Program Overview

Child and youth care practitioners provide support and understanding to young people and their families. This six-consecutive-semester program teaches you 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. Your eagerness to work with people and emotional maturity will help you meet the demands of working with children and youth with complex needs.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent)

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Tuition

Year one domestic: $4,083 (CAD)

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Semester 1 Courses

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Working with young people

Communication Skills

Relational Practice

Technology recommendations

To help students succeed in programs with remote learning requirements, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified minimum technology recommendations. While these are not program requirements, these suggestions will help ensure students have the right tools to support a quality remote learning experience.

View All Recommendations

Intakes and Availability

Date	Domestic Availability	International Availability
September 2022	Open	Closed

Career Options

Graduates from this program may find entry-level employment in:

Child welfare agencies
Children’s mental health centres
Community based child and youth programs
Early intervention programs
Alternate care settings
Home-based care and treatment services
Hospitals
Juvenile justice programs
Residential treatment centres
School boards

View all Career Options

Program Details

This advanced diploma program is a three-year, fast-track program delivered over two calendar years. You will be required to complete academic and field placement components during the spring and summer of both years.

Designed to prepare you to provide frontline treatment services to young people with complex special needs you will receive specific education and skill development related to:

Child management techniques
Designing treatment programs (for individuals and groups)
Family support interventions
Therapeutic relationships
Working with multidisciplinary teams

The curriculum encourages self-reflective practice that will enable you to explore your values, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions related to human behaviour and relationships.

Faculty will work closely with you to support skill development and growth in communication techniques and counselling theory and practice.

Program Learning Outcomes

Develop and maintain relationships with children, youth and their families applying principles of relational practice and respecting their unique life space, cultural and human diversity.
Assess and respond to the strengths and needs of children and youth, including complex responses impacted by developmental, environmental, physical, emotional, social and mental health challenges in order to promote positive change.
Analyze and evaluate the impact of the inter-relationship among family, social service, justice and community systems on children, youth and their families and use this information in the planning of holistic care and in the reduction of systemic barriers.
Plan, implement and evaluate interventions using evidence informed practices in the areas of therapeutic milieu and programming, and group work to promote resiliency and to enhance development in children, youth and their families.
Advocate for the rights of children, youth and their families and maintain an anti-oppression perspective and cultural competence in diverse cultural contexts.
Apply communication, teamwork and organizational skills within the interprofessional team and with community partners to enhance the quality of service in child and youth care practice.
Develop and implement self-care strategies using self-inquiry and reflection processes to promote self-awareness and to enhance practice as a child and youth care practitioner.
Use evidence-based research, professional development resources and supervision models to support professional growth and lifelong learning.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent)

Courses

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.

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change. Please note that as a result of COVID-19 the 2022-23 program of study may be modified to accommodate program delivery changes.

Costs

Career Options

Graduates from this program may find entry-level employment in:

Child welfare agencies
Children’s mental health centres
Community based child and youth programs
Early intervention programs
Alternate care settings
Home-based care and treatment services
Hospitals
Juvenile justice programs
Residential treatment centres
School boards

Field Placement

Your learning will be complemented with three competency-based field placements under the supervision of 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.

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Please note: There are costs associated with Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC), immunizations, lab tests and certifications. Be sure to keep all of your receipts for income tax purposes. These costs include:

Service fees for Verified, our documentation collection and ESPC verification partner.
Costs to complete mandatory immunizations, lab tests, and certifications.

It is required that students have completed the ESPC with Verified to be eligible for the field placement component of this program. You must (at your expense) provide:

A clear and current Criminal Reference Check (CRC) with Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS). If you cannot provide a clear CRC with VSS, you may not be accepted for placement by a field placement agency. CRCs with VSS must be obtained from your local police station. You may be required to obtain additional CRCs with VSS to meet field placement agency requirements
Current Level C CPR certification from a recognized provider
Current standard first aid certification from a recognized provider
Entry immunization form completed by a health-care provider
Additional background checks may be required as per agency requirements

Links:

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Qualified graduates may be eligible to apply their academic credits towards further study at Durham College in graduate certificate programs such as Victimology and Youth Justice and Interventions.

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.

Technology Recommendations

To help students have the best remote 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 or the school office.

Child and Youth Care (compressed)

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

Tuition

Semester 1 Courses

Technology recommendations

Intakes and Availability

Career Options

Graduates from this program may find entry-level employment in:

Program Details

Program Learning Outcomes

Admission Requirements

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Costs

Career Options

Graduates from this program may find entry-level employment in:

Field Placement

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Technology Recommendations

Helpful Resources

Have a Question? Attend a Program Information Webinar

Financial Aid Information

Graduate Employment Report [PDF]

Have a Question?
Attend a Program Information Webinar