Train for California's Child Program Director Permit and elevate the quality of your childcare center.
This course focuses on the history of early childhood education, the laws governing early childhood centers in California, and the goals of early childhood education. You’ll also discuss the administrator's job description, budgeting, personnel selection and standards, records and reports, and staff policies. The course discusses laws and regulations pertaining to the operation of an early childhood program and examines how to budget administrative responsibilities. You’ll develop the skills necessary to create an early childhood environment which meets space, equipment, health and safety requirements, and evaluate your program quality using the Environmental Rating Scale. This course is a good fit for educators interested in obtaining the California Child Program Director Permit.
Online Traditional courses have a structured learning environment and fixed deadlines. This course is largely self-study with instructor guidance and includes online learning modules, assignments, and/or quizzes. All course materials and assignments will be available on Canvas, our learning management system.
For this section, student access begins on September 8, but you may still enroll until October 14. All course work must be completed by 11:59 pm on December 9, 2025.
All course work must be completed by their fixed deadlines. Please note if a student enrolls on the start date or after, students will gain access to Canvas 1 hour from enrollment.
You'll be granted access in Canvas to your course site and course materials approximately 24 hours prior to the published start date of the course.
Required Text:
Please note, only 2 books are required for this course. In addition to "Visionary Director by Margie Carter and Deb Curtis, you will need to choose one of the environmenall rating scales. Please choose the appropriate booklet for your program. You only need to choose and obtain one of the environmental rating scales
The Visionary Directorr, 3rd ed., Margie Carter, Deb Curtis, Redleaf Press, ISBN: 978-1605547282
Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS-3), Thelma Harms, Debby Cryer, Richard M. Clifford and Noreen Yazejian, Teachers College Press, 2017. ISBN: 9780807758670
Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS-3), Thelma Harms, Debby Cryer, Richard M. Clifford and Noreen Yazejian,ISBN: 978-0807763018
School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale Updated (SACERS), Thelma Harms, Ellen Vineberg Jacobs, Donna Romano White, Teachers College Press, 2013. ISBN: 9780807755099
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-3), Thelma Hams and Richard M. Clifford, Debby Crye, eachers College Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780807755709
