Childcare

Childcare - NCFE Level 3 Award
Supported Home Study
Course Summary

Reach Your Potential in Childcare
Imagine a career where your own spirit of excitement and delight can shine through!

Imagine knowing you are contributing to the building of a new generation where a child remembers your warmth and guidance throughout their entire lives. If you find that image appealing then the DCA Childcare distance learning course accredited by NCFE is perfect for you.

Most character-building experiences occur between birth and age eight, so in those early years children deserve special attention and well-planned learning experiences to give them a solid foundation for the future. They also deserve caring, responsive and enthusiastic people to work with them. This course is specially designed for people who want to work with young children.

Among the wealth of topics covered are: language, physical and social development, dietary needs, exercise and play.

Whether you already work with children, or are intending to, or perhaps want to give your own children more by increasing your own knowledge, you will find the DCA Childcare distance learning course the ideal starting point. After all, working with children or being a parent is a privilege not to be wasted.

Childcare Course Outline

Open learning improves career prospects and earnings
Study at home learning to work in Childcare.

If you want a career in Childcare, our tutor supported open distance learning Childcare course provides the necessary knowledge, skills and qualification without disrupting your current lifestyle.

The DCA Home Learning Childcare course provides training in the core skills needed to embark on a rewarding career in Childcare. The DCA supported self-study Childcare course is specially designed, allowing you to learn the skills of Childcare through flexible and cost-effective home study at your own time and pace.

With the DCA Home Learning Childcare course, online study resources and a personal tutor are available to guide you throughout the course, and your Student Advisor is a Freephone call away. What's more, because the distance learning Childcare course is so comprehensive, no prior knowledge or skills are required. The DCA Childcare course provides an entry level diploma as proof our your competence and skills.

If you'd like to earn more money and enjoy working in Childcare, the DCA home study course is the ideal distance learning training course for you.

Module 1: The Early Childhood Educator

• The role of the early childhood educator
• Interacting with other early childhood educators
• Observing and recording child behaviours
• Guiding child behaviour
• Fostering self-esteem in children
• Showing approval of children's actions
• Changes in children as they grow older
• Children with special needs

Module 2: Development in Children

• The rights of children and their families
• Principles of inclusivity
• Observational and recording techniques
• Methods of observation
• Holistic child development
• Theories of child development and learning
• Cognitive development
• Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner
• Theories of language development
• Physical development
• Activity and exercise
• Emotional and social development
• Managing children's behaviour

Module 3: Physical Care

• Physical care of children 1-8
• Basic health needs
• The integrated care environment
• Displaying children's work
• Safe management of trips and outings
• Diet, nutrition and food
• Multicultural, economic and social factors
• Types of diets and dietary needs
• Play, curriculum and early learning
• Theories of play and types of play
• Curriculum requirements in the UK
• Caring for babies
• Common neonatal problems and disorders
• The nutritional needs of babies

Module 4: Working With Families and Communities

• Roles, rights and responsibilities of parents
• Relationship between parent, child and staff
• Children with special needs
• Disability and discrimination
• The SEN code of practice
• Residential care
• Promoting child health
• Caring for children who are unwell
• The protection of children
• The Children Act 1989
• Protection from abuse and neglect

Childcare Career Opportunities

With the encouragement of the Government, people are returning to work while their young children are being cared for in either state or private daycare centres. This also means that the Government is looking to the people who are employed in child daycare centres to be better trained and have more qualifications.

This means that much of the guidance of young children is now being shared with professional childcare workers. This can bring many benefits toward enriching the lives of these children and broadening their horizons. However, it requires high stardards of dedication and training on the part of the men and women assuming these key roles. As there is a high level of responsibility being placed on the shoulders of childcare workers, strict standards and guidelines have been implemented for daycare facilities and their staff.

A number of employment opportunities exist for people with childcare qualifications including: working in nurseries, workplace crèches, as child minders, babysitting, nanny, working in family centres, playgroups, holiday playscheme workers, au pairs and many more.

The DCA Diploma in childcare will give you background knowledge and skills for working in the childcare sector but you may wish to continue your training to achieve formal childcare qualifications.

Childcare Learning Method

Learn at home in your spare time, using proven learning methods perfected by DCA - leaders in the field of home learning.

Home learning is a convenient way of earning a DCA diploma at a pace and time that suits your lifestyle.

Thousands of people enrol in home learning courses every day.

With DCA, you can study when you feel like it. This might be relaxing in the comfort of your own home, relaxing on the sofa. It may be on a train or in the park on a hot summer day.

Your materials are delivered directly to your home in bite-sized chunks, which means that you can take them wherever you want to.

As you have all the materials to study your course, there is no need to attend any classes so you are free to fit your studies around a current job and earn as you learn or balance your learning with family life, hobbies and other commitments.

As a DCA student, you will have access to your own courses tutor on a FREEPHONE helpline or if you choose by e-mail. Your tutor will be with you throughout your course.

DCA Diploma

DCA Home Learning awards a personalised diploma to all students who have successfully completed their course. Students who achieve an average score of 90% or higher will earn a "Diploma with Highest Honours."

Students undertaking an accredited course will receive the appropriate certificate from the awarding body.