Child and Youth Care
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Program Overview
Build meaningful relationships. Create lasting change. Fanshawe’s Child and Youth Care program prepares you to support children, youth, and families facing emotional, behavioural, and social challenges. Grounded in relational, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice, this three-year advanced diploma combines classroom learning with three full-time field placements in schools, community agencies, residential care and mental health settings. You'll develop hands-on skills and graduate ready to make a difference by empowering young people to grow, heal and thrive.
Program Details
Program Code
CYW4
Credential:
Ontario College Advanced Diploma
Duration
90 weeks
Start Dates
Locations
Availability
Full Time Offerings
2026 September
London
Open
2027 January
London
Open
2025 September
London
Closed
2026 January
London
Closed
Start Dates
Locations
Availability
Full Time Offerings
2027 January
London
Open
2025 September
London
Closed
2026 January
London
Closed
2026 September
London
Closed
Your Learning Experience
This three-year advanced diploma blends theory, hands-on skill development, and over 1,200 hours of supervised field experience in schools, community programs, residential care and mental health settings. These experiences help you apply theory to practice, develop your professional identity and build confidence as an emerging practitioner.
Graduates are ready for meaningful careers in education, child welfare, youth justice, mental health, and community services, or to pursue further study in related fields through Fanshawe’s transfer opportunities. Fanshawe’s experienced faculty, focus on practical learning, and innovative practicum model will ensure you graduate confident, compassionate and career-ready.
What you’ll learn:
Relational Practice: Build authentic, supportive, and professional relationships that promote growth, trust and belonging.
Child and Adolescent Development: Understand how biological, psychological, social and cultural factors shape development.
Counselling and Communication Skills: Develop strong interviewing, listening and intervention skills to support youth effectively.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Examine your own values, challenge bias, and learn to practice allyship with marginalized youth and families.
Mental Health & Addictions: Explore the realities of mental health, trauma, substance use and wellness from a child and youth care lens.
Therapeutic Programming: Design and deliver purposeful activities that foster connection, coping and self-expression.
Documentation, Law & Ethics: Understand key legislation, ethical decision-making and professional standards.
Group and Family Work: Facilitate positive group dynamics and support healthy family interactions through systemic and strengths-based approaches.
You’ll graduate ready for front-line, advocacy, or program roles—and equipped to pursue professional certification with the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care (OACYC) and the Child and Youth Care Certification Board (CYCCB).
Career Information
Graduates are in demand across a wide range of settings, including:
- Schools and school boards
- Mental health and addictions programs
- Residential and live-in treatment centres
- Children’s Aid Societies and family support services
- Youth justice and community diversion programs
- Hospitals (in and outpatient programs)
- Outreach and community resource centres
I want to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to the wonderful instructors at Fanshawe College and more specifically my Child and Youth Care program. I have always had an interest and desire to work within the education system, specifically with children with challenging behaviours. I chose Fanshawe College to prepare me for my future. I strongly believe that Fanshawe's approach to education and placement played a key part to my success as a student and ultimately finding employment. My graduation day was not only a day of celebration for my previous three years of hard work, it was also a day of celebration for receiving an offer of employment from the Thames Valley District School Board. I never dreamed that I would be employed on the day of graduation! This surreal feeling will never be forgotten.
Lisa Giovannetti
Recent Fanshawe Graduate
Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to
- Develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with children, youth and their families, respecting their unique life spaces, and applying the principles of relational practice to meet their needs.
- Assess the strengths, developmental and holistic needs of children, youth and their families, using methods grounded in theoretical frameworks, research and therapeutic practices, to develop care and intervention plans.
- Develop and implement care and intervention plans appropriate for the therapeutic milieu using evidence-informed practices and research to provide support for children, youth, and their families.
- Use equitable and inclusive approaches that are anti-colonial, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and strength-based frameworks, as well as cultural humility, to create positive and sustainable solutions and respond to inequities and to systemic barriers experienced by children, youth and their families.
- Advocate for, and in solidarity with, children, youth, their families and communities through their participation in the development and implementation of care and intervention plans that uphold their rights.
- Employ communication, collaboration and relational skills with the inter-professional team and with community partners to ensure and enhance the professionalism of practice.
- Engage in self-inquiry, relational inquiry and critical reflection to develop strategies for learning and the practice of self-care, as a practitioner.
- Use professional development resources and supervision to increase professional capacity, learning and leadership skills.
- Adhere to relevant legislation and Child and Youth Care standards of practice, competencies, and codes of ethics as a practitioner.
- Practice in a variety of contexts and settings, respecting needs for developmental growth, safety, wellbeing and agency, while addressing the varying age and developmental ranges of children, youth, and their families.
- Employ crisis prevention and intervention techniques, and harm-reduction principles, with children, youth and their families in the provision of care, to ensure their safety, resolution of crises, and reparation of relationships.
- Develop the capacity to work with children, youth and families who identify with Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities, as well as people in LGBTQ2+ and disabled communities, by identifying systemic inequities and barriers, integrating practices such as trauma-informed care, and respecting their inherent rights to self-determine.
Related Programs
Academic School
Program Coordinators:
London Campus
Erin Rochard, BA, BCYC
London Campus Field Practicum Coordinator
Kristen Fryer CYW, BA CYC, MEd
Woodstock/Oxford Regional Campus:
Peggy Humphries, CYW, CYC (cert.)
CYC Co-ordinator and CYC Field Placement Liaison
Pathways
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. Graduates who
have a final cumulative GPA of 2.0 will meet all the admission
requirements for this program.
Competitive Programs
This is a competitive program; the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of seats available. Please see www.fanshawec.ca/hcp for details. |
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 | Overall score of 4.5 with no score less than 4 in any band |
| 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 | Minimum score of 53 with no score less than 45 in any of the four bands |
| 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 |
| LanguageCert Academic | Overall score of 65 with no score less than 60 in any of the four skills |
Recommended Academic Preparation
Recommended Academic Preparation
High school courses that explore human behaviour, development,
society, and family dynamics provide a strong foundation for future
Child and Youth Care students. Courses in family studies, such as
those focusing on nutrition, child development, family
relationships, and caregiving skills, are also highly recommended.
Examples include:
- Introduction Anthropology/Sociology/Psychology
- Challenge and Change in Society
- Exploring Family Studies
- Dynamics of Human Relationships
- Families in Canada
- Human Development Throughout the Lifespan
- Working with Infants and Young Children
- Raising Healthy Children
- Working with School-Age Children and Adolescents
- Introduction to Psychology Elements
Additional Recommended/Beneficial Courses include:
- Personal Life Management
- Co-operative Education related to childcare, youth services or community support
- Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students who have focused on social/community services or health and wellness
Recommended Personal Preparation
Recommended Personal Preparation
Successful Child and Youth Care (CYC) students bring
curiosity, compassion, and a genuine interest in supporting others.
This profession calls for individuals who have strong communication
skills, self-awareness, and emotional maturity.
Students should come prepared to practice personal
responsibility, manage stress, and reflect on their own experiences
and reactions as part of their growth and learning. A
willingness to give and receive feedback, work collaboratively, and
take initiative will serve students well.
Any experience (volunteering, mentoring, coaching, or
community involvement, etc.) that builds empathy and interpersonal
skills can provide helpful preparation for this program and for
future work as a Child and Youth Care practitioner.
Advanced Standing
Advanced Standing
Advanced Standing may be granted to those directly employed in the child and youth care field or those with comparable relevant experience or academic background.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:- Preference for Permanent Residents of Ontario
- 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)
- Achievement in the Admission Requirements
- Admission to the Fanshawe College Human Services Foundation program does not guarantee admission in a subsequent year to the Child and Youth Care 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 Child and Youth Care program. The Human Services Foundation program is the preferred designated preparatory program for admission to the Child and Youth Care program.
- *Students who are currently registered in the Human Services Foundation program at Fanshawe College or at any Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology must successfully complete their Human Services Foundation Ontario College Certificate with a minimum 2.0 GPA by April 30, 2023 and meet the academic pre-requisite course for the Child and Youth Care program in order to be eligible for admission consideration in the immediately following academic year to the Child and Youth Care program.
- **Students who are currently registered in the General Arts and Science program at Fanshawe College or at any Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology must successfully complete their General Arts and Science Ontario College Certificate with a minimum 2.0 GPA by April 30, 2023 and meet the academic pre-requisite course for the Child and Youth Care program in order to be eligible for admission consideration in the immediately following academic year to the Child and Youth Care 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
Courses
| Level 1 | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| WRIT-1094 | Reason & Writing 1 for Community Studies | 3 | ||
| 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. | ||||
| BSCI-1264 | Therapeutic Programming | 3 | ||
| This course is designed to equip students with the conceptual frameworks, and technical skills necessary to plan, develop, implement, analyze and evaluate appropriate recreational and therapeutic programs for children and youth. This introductory course enhances students' knowledge and skills in utilizing games, exercises and activities for therapeutic purposes. Students will gain appreciation for the therapeutic value of play/ programming and begin to practice in a controlled setting. Students will be introduced to a variety of therapeutic interventions that can be applied in milieus where children and youth are commonly supported by Child and Youth Care Practitioners. | ||||
| PSYC-1114 | CYC Skills & Interventions | 3 | ||
| This is a practical course designed to teach students basic attending skills and strategies for working effectively with children. Sources of influence for children's behaviour are examined, including the role Child and Youth Care Practitioners have as a source of positive influence and empowerment in the lives of young people. | ||||
| PSYC-1115 | CYC Relational Practice-Intro | 3 | ||
| This foundational course introduces students to the core principles and practices of relational work in the field of Child and Youth Care (CYC). Students will explore the scope of the profession, gaining insight into the diverse milieus and settings in which CYC practitioners work. Emphasis is placed on the development of self-awareness and reflective practice as essential tools for personal and professional growth. Students will examine the 25 characteristics of relational practice for developing the interpersonal skills necessary for effective engagement with children, youth, and families. The course also provides an overview of the CYC Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. | ||||
| FLDP-1046 | Professional Practice: Field Readiness | 2 | ||
| This course introduces students to the foundational principles and practices of field practicum within the Child and Youth Care (CYC) program. Students will explore the roles and responsibilities of the student, Field Faculty, and Practicum Mentor, while developing essential skills in professionalism and reflective practice required for success on practicum. Students will create a professional resume and portfolio that highlights their knowledge, skills, and accomplishments. They will also engage in self-reflection to develop a trauma-informed self-care plan that supports both personal well-being and professional resilience. | ||||
| PSYC-1116 | Diversity in CYC Practice | 3 | ||
| This course will introduce students to diverse populations in the field of Child and Youth Care and in today's society. This course will ask students to examine their perspectives both personally and professionally, utilize self-reflection and self-awareness to begin to build an inclusive practice. The concept of ally will be woven throughout the course so students can begin to address personal bias in their practice. Students will develop skills in critical thinking and apply this knowledge to CYC practice. | ||||
| PSYC-1117 | Child Development | 3 | ||
| This course will provide students with an opportunity to understand prenatal health and the growth and development of children 0 - 12 years of age. Development will be understood through the use of five major theoretical perspectives and the physical, cognitive and social/emotional domains. The concepts of heredity and environment will be discussed throughout the course in relation to the role of child and youth care practitioners. Students will apply their knowledge of child development through simulations and experiential learning activities in class. | ||||
Tuition Summary
London
[1] Total program costs are approximate and subject to change. They do not include additional fees such as the health and dental plan, bus pass, or general expenses. Learn more about ancillary and additional fees.