Program Overview

The Early Childhood Education program combines theory and coursework with real experience in the field. Students will learn the importance of play in children's learning, family involvement, and curriculum design. Graduates will be qualified to work in a variety of jobs including child care centres, early learning and family centres.

Program Details

Program Code
ECE1
Credential:
Ontario College Diploma
Duration
60 weeks
Start Dates
Locations
Availability

Full Time Offerings

2024 September
London
Open
2024 September
Fully Online
Open
2024 September
Clinton
Open
2024 September
St. Thomas
Open
2024 September
Woodstock
Open
2025 January
London
Open
2025 May
London
Open
2023 September
Clinton
Closed
2023 September
St. Thomas
Closed
2023 September
Woodstock
Closed
2023 September
London
Closed
2023 September
Fully Online
Closed
2024 January
London
Closed
2024 May
London
Waitlisted

Part Time Offerings

2024 September
Clinton
Open
2024 September
Clinton
Open
2025 January
Fully Online
Open
2025 May
Fully Online
Open
2023 September
Fully Online
Closed
2023 September
Clinton
Closed
2024 January
Fully Online
Closed
2024 May
Fully Online
Closed
2024 September
Fully Online
Waitlisted
Start Dates
Locations
Availability

Full Time Offerings

2024 September
Toronto
Open
2024 September
St. Thomas
Open
2024 September
Clinton
Open
2025 January
Toronto
Open
2025 May
Toronto
Open
2025 May
London
Open
2023 September
London
Closed
2023 September
Clinton
Closed
2023 September
St. Thomas
Closed
2023 September
Woodstock
Closed
2024 January
Toronto
Closed
2024 January
London
Closed
2024 May
Toronto
Closed
2024 May
London
Closed
2024 September
London
Closed
2024 September
Woodstock
Closed
2025 January
London
Closed

Your Learning Experience

Does shaping and nurturing young minds of the future while enjoying a satisfying, in-demand career interest you? Fanshawe’s Early Childhood Education program will give you the skills and the hands-on experience to get you on your way.

Our unique program blends theory and coursework with real experience in the field. You’ll develop knowledge and professional skills in child development with the assistance of our diverse courses and learn about the valuable and specialized role you play in the community. 

Graduates from this program will gain diverse and dynamic skills for the evolving world of childhood education. You’ll be qualified to work in a range of jobs including child care centres, early learning and family centres, before and after school programs and with school boards.

This two-year Ontario College Diploma program will develop students' knowledge and professional skills in the early childhood educator's role and responsibilities. Your work placement will expose you to a wide variety of age groups and multiple organizations. You’ll have had dynamic and eclectic experiences that will make you more valuable to the field of Early Childhood Education

Flexible Options

This program is offered at more than one campus and fully online for your convenience. Learn more about the programs and services of Fanshawe’s campuses in Clinton, St. Thomas and Woodstock. Not sure if you're ready for online learning? Take Fanshawe's online learning readiness test to see if getting a diploma online is for you.

This program is also available part-time.

Additional Information
  • Students are required upon graduation and prior to working as an Early Childhood Educator to join the College of Early Childhood Educators.
  • Certification by the Association for Early Childhood Educators, Ontario may be applied for after completion of the program. 
  • Students who graduate from this program and wish to transfer to another Community Services program at Fanshawe College, may qualify for some internal credits that have already been achieved. 
  • Graduates of this program, once they have completed a bridge program, can enter into Level 5 of the Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership Degree program at Fanshawe College.
  • Students registering in this program at the Clinton Site should be aware that all four academic Levels are delivered continuously from September to December of the following year; there is no break between Level 2 and Level 3.
  • Students registering for the online offering of ECE should know that there are mandatory field placements in semester 2, 3 and 4 of the program.
Career Information

Graduates of Fanshawe’s Early Childhood Education program will have the knowledge and skills to work with children, families and the community in the context of early learning and development programs for children from birth to 12 years of age. Graduates will be prepared to find employment in a variety of early childhood settings, including:

  • child care centres
  • early learning and parenting centres, 
  • best start programs
  • nursery schools
  • pre-kindergarten and kindergartens
  • social and family centres
  • before and after school programs
  • community centres
  • hospital playrooms
  • centres or programs for children with exceptionalities
  • school boards

 

Did you know Fanshawe consistently ranks high in graduation employment rates among large colleges in Ontario? 

 

Here are some examples of career opportunities for graduates of Fanshawe’s Early Childhood Education (Fast Track) (Weekend) program:

Early Childhood Educator

Deliver enthusiastic and passionate support working with children aged 3 months to four years in a child care centre.

Early Childhood Education Centre Supervisor

Recruit, supervise, mentor and motivate staff to develop and deliver quality curriculum in a classroom setting.

Early Childhood Educator

Plan and implement a child care program while building relationships with families, children and community agencies

 

 

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

  1. Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity including Indigenous peoples’ worldviews and Francophone identity;
  2. Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children’s learning, holistic development and well-being following children’s capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences;
  3. Co-design and maintain inclusive early learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings;
  4. Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being;
  5. Use observation strategies to identify children’s strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources;
  6. Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children’s service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector;
  7. Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one’s own role in early years and child care settings;
  8. Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures;
  9. Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, interdisciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services;
  10. Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.

 

Academic School

Program Coordinators:

London Campus

Janet Foster

London Campus - Online

Sheryl Third

Field Coordinator:

Kim Woods

St. Thomas/Elgin Regional Campus:

Sheila Bedford, RECE

Woodstock/Oxford Regional Campus:

Klaske Rheubottom

Clinton Site:

Heather MacKenzie-Card

Open House Graphic

Specially-trained Fanshawe staff and students will tour you around the campus viewing key student spaces to provide you with a better understanding of the full student experience.

Register for Open House

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, or a mature applicant with the following course:

- Grade 12 English (C or U)

Students who do not meet the admission requirements are recommended for academic upgrading. A conditional offer may be possible with proof of enrolment. Alternatively, applicants may choose to do the one-year Human Services Foundation preparatory program to meet all the admissions requirements for this program.

Note:
Graduates of this program may choose to transfer into level 5 of the Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership Degree program after completing the bridging requirements.
International Admission Equivalencies
Admission equivalencies for Fanshawe depends on your country of study. Please enter your location to see the requirements for your country below.
English Language Requirements

English Language Requirements

Test Score
TOEFL iBT 79
IELTS Academic Overall score of 6.0 with no score less than 5.5 in any of the four bands
CAEL Overall score of 60 with no score less than 50 in any of the four bands. score of 80 in listening
PTE Academic 53
Cambridge English Overall score of 169 with no language skill less than 162
ESL4/GAP5 Minimum grade of 80% in Level 8, 75% in Level 9, or 70% in Level 10
Duolingo Overall score of 105, with no score lower than 95

 

Learn More about English Language Requirements

Recommended Academic Preparation

Recommended Academic Preparation

  • Grade 11 Raising Healthy Children (O)
  • Grade 11 Working with Infants and Young Children (C)
  • Grade 12 Challenge and Change in Society (U)
  • Grade 12 Families in Canada (C) or (U) 
  • Grade 12 Human Development Throughout the Lifespan (M)
Recommended Personal Preparation

Recommended Personal Preparation

  • Students should develop leadership experience in schools, churches, community and special activity interests appropriate to preparation for this field
  • Knowledge of and interest in this field plus good writing skills
  • Visitation to or experience in early childhood settings for observation purposes is highly recommended 
Applicant Selection Criteria

Applicant Selection Criteria

Where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces in the program, the Applicant Selection Criteria will be:
  1. Preference for Permanent Residents of Ontario
  2. Receipt of Application by February 1st (After this date, Fanshawe College will consider applicants on a first-come, first-served basis until the program is full)
  3. Achievement in the Admission Requirements
Note:
  • Admission to the Fanshawe College Human Services Foundation program does not guarantee admission in a subsequent year to the Early Childhood Education program. Successful completion of the Fanshawe College Human Services Foundation program, however, does enable the student to be given additional consideration when applying to the Early Childhood Education program.  The Human Services Foundation program is the preferred designated preparatory program for admission to the Early Childhood Education program.
Post-Admission Requirements

Post-Admission Requirements

The following items are applicable to the program and are time sensitive.  Please refer to www.fanshawec.ca/preplacement for important information about preparing for placement by the due date.

  • Possession of a Standard First Aid course certificate (either St. John Ambulance or Canadian Red Cross or equivalent) and a Basic Rescuer course certificate (Level "C" CPR)
  • Evidence of Good Health
  • Police Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening, including a check of the Pardoned Sexual Offenders Database
  • Placement Agreement
More Information

More info about post-admission requirements:

London Campus

Clinton Site

St. Thomas/Elgin Regional Campus

Woodstock/Oxford Regional Campus

Courses

Level 1
Gen Ed - Take a 3 credit General Education elective course.
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
WRIT-1094Reason & Writing 1 for Community Studies3
This course will introduce Community Studies students to essential principles of reading, writing, and reasoning at the postsecondary level. Students will identify, summarize, analyze, and evaluate multiple short readings and write persuasive response essays to develop their vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and critical thinking.
ECED-1084Foundations of ECE3
This course provides an introduction to the foundations and principles of early childhood education. It identifies the importance of a play based pedagogical approach to 'How Does Learning Happen?' Students will examine the role of the Early Childhood Educator in maintaining an inclusive, child centered and developmentally appropriate practice.
ECED-1003Emotional Development & Early Relations3
This course provides the opportunity to analyze the role of the educator in building supportive relationships that respond with sensitivity and respect to all children, enhance emotional and social development, and guide children's behaviour in ways which facilitate self esteem and self-control.
ECED-1074Child Development: Intro3
In this course students will investigate foundational child development theorists and their linkage to practice and pedagogy in early care and education systems. A continuum-based approach within the context of early year's programs, will be explored. Students will have opportunities to examine the structure and function of the brain, as well as consider the role that both heredity and environment play in the developing child. Current research, that informs policy in the early year's field, will additionally be analyzed.
PSYC-1101Interpersonal Development3
This course will introduce the concepts of bias-free values and multiple perspectives of diversity as foundations for effective interpersonal relationships. In this course, students will assess personal values and Professional disposition which influence attitudes towards and relationships with, children, families and colleagues. Sensitive, effective and supportive communication methods will be identified and practiced within the classroom setting. Both verbal and non-verbal communication skills and attitudes required for collaborative professional interactions will be emphasized throughout.
FLDP-1021Field Orientation2.4
Students will be introduced to the profession of Early Childhood Education. The class content will support the student in understanding the importance of building relationships with children, principles of practice, value of learning through play and being an ECE professional. The students will visit a child care agency and work with a Mentor to be oriented into the Field Practicum experience. Professional attitudes and behaviours are expected at an introductory level.
View all courses

Tuition Summary

London

Canadian Costs
$7,010.64
Total Cost of Program
International Costs
$31,377.40
Total Cost of Program

Clinton, St. Thomas, Woodstock

Canadian Costs
$6,474.92
Total Cost of Program
International Costs
$30,841.68
Total Cost of Program

Online

Canadian Costs
$6,474.92
Total Cost of Program

Toronto

International Costs
$30,947.96
Total Cost of Program

*Total program costs are approximate, subject to change and do not include the health and dental plan fee, bus pass fee or program general expenses.

 

Contact/Questions