Childcare Center Operations

About Our Program:

This program is approved by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) as meeting the course requirements for child care center directors. Students who complete the program, and meet other requirements, are eligible for the Florida Child Care Director Credential. A description of those requirements is provided below:

FLORIDA DIRECTOR CREDENTIAL CORE REQUIREMENTS:

Possess a High School diploma or GED
Complete the Department of Children and Families Part I Introductory Child Care Courses (5 courses, 30 hours)
Complete the DCF Special Needs Appropriate Practices course or a minimum of 8 hours of in-service training on children with disabilities
Possess an active Staff Credential

IN ADDITION, THE DIRECTOR CREDENTIAL, LEVEL I REQUIRES:

Completion of one DCF approved course in the curriculum content area Overview of Child Care Management (this course meets that requirement)

Program Structure:

This program is a planned sequence of instruction consisting of one occupational completion point (45 Hours), as illustrated below:

OCP A

Child Care Center Director

45 Hours

There is no TABE requirement for this course.

Employment Outlook:

Employment of preschool and childcare center directors is projected to grow 11% from 2020 to 2030.

Salary:

The average wage for this career in Florida is $15.16 hourly or $31,530 annually.

Program Cost & Fees:

Program Cost 45 Hours @ $2.56 per hour
Out of State Residents @ $10.25 per hour
Student ID: $5.00
Application: $15.00
Material: $15.00
Student must purchase books, kits, and/or uniforms if applicable, prices will vary
Program cost and fees are subject to change

This program offers a sequence of courses that provides coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in the Education & Training career cluster; provides technical skill proficiency, and includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of the Education & Training career cluster.
Financial Aid Available (for students who qualify):

Completion of Program:

After successfully completing this program, the student will be able to perform the following:

Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee.
Apply appropriate academic and technical skills.
Attend to personal health and financial well- being.
Communicate clearly, effectively and with reason.
Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions.
Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
Employ valid and reliable research strategies.
Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Model integrity, ethical leadership, and effective management.
Plan education and career path aligned to personal goals.
Use technology to enhance productivity.
Work productively in teams while using cultural/global competence.

Final Certificate:

A Certificate of Completion is issued for students who end the program, and finish the Occupational Completion Point (OCP)”

Evaluation:

The following grading scale will apply to all courses within the program: 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=F

Basic Skills Test:

Students registered in a post-secondary education program for technical careers of 450+ hours must take a basic skills entrance test within the first six (6) weeks after their admission to the program.

The State of Florida requires that students who desire a Technical-Professional Diploma gets an industry certification within the study program scope, or to pass the TABE test at a predetermined level when they register for a 450+ hour program. The test is a basic skills initial test.

Students who have a University degree at the Associate in Science level, or higher, or who has passed a state, national or industry certification license test ate exempt from this rule. The designated program administrator must receive an official copy of the diploma, academic dossier, or test evaluation.

Students with disabilities are eligible for exemptions in the TABE test, course placement, and reasonable course substitutions. A counselor or administrator may help the client.”

Financial Aid Available for students who qualify:

Financial aid is available for students who qualify. A one-year Florida residence is required. For additional information, please see the Financial Aid Officer in the school main office.

Attendance Policy

Students must attend classes regularly to be able to complete the study program successfully. Attendance is strictly supervised.

Student Code of Conduct:

Consumption of tobacco, alcohol and other illegal substances is prohibited. Offensive, abusive or profane language will not be accepted in school or during school activities. Violators of this code could be excluded from classes or from school. Robbery, property damage, assault and/or threats to others are a violation of the law. Students involved in this behavior could be referred to pertinent authorities. Criminal aggression and other serious offenses will be referred to police authorities. See Student Code of Conduct Manual of the Board of Miami-Dade County Public Schools in the school webpage.

Student Services:

Students who qualify as residents of the State of Florida must be able to show one of the following documents:

Valid Florida ID or Driver’s License
Declaration of Domicile certified by the court
A utility bill with the legal name of the interested party as addressee
A certified letter received by the school from an agency confirming the student resides in the State of Florida.

The SAVES program offers services to refugees and people with asylum status (all nationalities), and parolees (Cubans and Haitians only). The eligible students may receive free books, free English and technical career classes.

Classes are offered at:

South Dade Technical College
28300 S.W. 152nd Avenue
Leisure City, FL 33033
(305) 247-7839

Class Hours:
Monday – Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Office Hours: Monday – Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Vision

“We are committed to providing quality educational programs and services for adult learners.”

Source

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Preschool, and Childcare Center Directors, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/preschool-and-childcare-center-directors.htm.

Licensed Childcare

Early Childhood Education