Administration & Management for Child Care: Self-Guided

This course is worth 12 Pro-D hours.

This Administration & Management for Child Care (AMCC) training program provides an overview of all aspects of leadership development. It’s ideal for experienced leaders who are looking to improve or expand on their program’s operations, as well as students looking to become child care leaders in BC.

This self-led 12-hour course includes video modules and quizzes as well as reflection questions/exercises to help you tailor the learnings to your own program. You can take the modules at your leisure, but you must pass all module quizzes and the final exam to receive your certificate.

Note: You must use a laptop or desktop computer to take this course; it is not possible to use a smartphone for this work. You will receive access to the course for three months from the date of registration. The course must be completed within this time to receive a certificate.

What’s in the WCCRC Knowledge Base?

The WCCRC Administration & Management for Child Care Knowledge Base is a comprehensive online information database for ECE leaders with detailed guidance on all areas of child care leadership, including Governance, Human Resources, Enrollment & Attendance, Health & Safety, Facilities & Equipment, Programming & Curriculum, and Community Connections.

Formerly known as the Westcoast INFORM Guide, the WCCRC Knowledge Base has been completely revised to reflect current practices and learnings in inclusiveness, Truth & Reconciliation, the BC Early Learning Framework, and inquiry-based approaches. As a valuable tool for all child care staff, it includes comprehensive lists of online resources, as well as tools and forms you can use in your own practice.

You can find the WCCRC Knowledge Base here.

Here’s what you’ll learn in each of the modules:

Module 1: Governance

This course covers best practices in child care governance and leadership. You’ll learn how to create (and improve) your policies & procedures, Constitution & Bylaws, Philosophy and Code of Conduct. You’ll also receive critical information about written records, insurance and governing legislation.

This is an essential course for leaders who want to improve or expand on their program’s operations, as well as students looking to become child care leaders in BC.

This self-guided course takes approximately 2 hours to complete, and includes video modules and group activities. It’s designed to help you immediately apply the learnings to your own program.

Module 2: Human Resources

A child care program’s employees are its most important asset. By following best practices in human resources, you’re more likely to retain staff for the long term.

In this comprehensive 3-hour Human Resources course, you’ll learn how to create (and improve) HR policies & procedures, and you’ll take a deep dive into the entire employee cycle, from initial hiring and onboarding to performance management and termination. This is an essential course for leaders who want to improve or expand on their program’s operations.

This course takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete, depending on the speed of the learner. Includes videos, quizzes and reflection questions.

Module 3: Financial Management

Strong, effective financial management is critical for all child care organizations. This 1-hr, 15-min module covers the basics of financial management, including financial planning, bookkeeping and reporting. We include guidelines on creating effective policies & procedures, helping you directly apply the learnings to your own program. This is a great course for leaders who want to have a better understanding of their program’s finances.

Module 4: Enrollment & Attendance

Every program needs solid enrollment & attendance practices, including robust policies & procedures to support this work. In this module, we dive into best practices to ensure you best serve the needs of your families and community. We’ll cover everything from enrollment planning to waiting lists to custody & access issues. This short, 20-min course includes a video, quizzes, and reflection questions.

Module 5: Health & Safety

This comprehensive 2-hr, 30-min course contains an overview of health & safety best practices, including guidance to help leaders create H&S policies & procedures for their own program. It covers over a dozen areas pertinent to safe and healthy practices, including emergency response procedures, immunizations, field trip safety and much, much more. This is an essential course for leaders who want to have greater peace of mind about the safety of their program’s operations.

Module 6: Facilities & Equipment

A well-managed child care facility helps your program operate effectively and efficiently, and provides a physical setting that is appropriate and adequate for learning. In this 1-hour course, you’ll learn how to ensure your facility is run in the safest, most efficient, quality and cost-effective manner. It includes teachings on facilities policies & procedures, building records, inspections and maintenance.

Module 7: Programming & Curriculum

This 1.5-hour course supports leaders in creating safe, ethical and quality programming that is relevant and respectful of communities and cultures. Learners will explore and discuss the creation of a curriculum and pedagogy, as well as programming policies to support their vision. The course will also review the creation of Family Handbooks, and best practices in conducting Program Reviews.

This course is absolutely essential for leaders who want to ensure their programming reflects the most current practices and learnings in inclusiveness, Truth & Reconciliation, the BC Early Learning Framework, and inquiry-based approaches.

Module 8: Community Connections

Communities are at the heart of child care programs. In this 1-hour course, we’ll help you nurture your community connections to build support and collaboration, attract families and retain staff. We’ll also cover critical components of community advocacy, including how to advocate on behalf of families and educators, and educate the community on the value and necessity of child care. Finally, we’ll explore the tools to help you communicate and connect with others, helping you build competencies in websites, social media and marketing. This is an essential course for helping ECE leaders form an even stronger bond with their communities.