Why Choose the Early Care & Education Program?
The early care and educational experiences of a child can have a lifelong impact, promoting developmental growth and learning outcomes that prepare them for formal school and individual well-being. Our Early Care & Education program offers students the chance to truly make a positive difference in the lives of children.
Our courses provide the necessary knowledge about children, family partnerships and ethical standards to prepare students for the hands-on experience they receive during their practicums either on campus at the Hayes Child Development Center or in an approved local child care center.
If you want to make a difference in the life of a child, our Early Care & Education program can prepare you for a career in the early childhood development field as a child care director, teacher or child care provider.
Employers in this field are looking for professional people who are knowledgeable about children, family partnerships and learning standards.
How Long It Takes:
Early Care & Education AAT or AAS-T Degree: 6 quarters
Early Childhood Leadership Certificate: 2-4 quarters
State Initial Early Childhood Education Certificate (Step 1): 1 quarter
Short ECE Certificate of Specialization (Step 2): 1 quarter
Special Needs Certificate: 4 quarters
Washington State ECE Stackable Certificate: 4-6 quarters
All program lengths are estimates and are not guarantees.
Potential Careers
Child Care Worker
Child Care Worker Career & Wage Details
Child Care Director
Child Care Director Career & Wage Details
This is not a guarantee of employment or a certain wage. Full career data available at careeronestop.org.
Talk with Entry Services in the Welcome Center to APPLY TO CPTC.
Find your timeline and learning plan with Program Maps.
Understand program costs, Tuition, and Fees.
Find Ways to Pay for CPTC.
Search for and enroll in classes in ctcLink by visiting www.cptc.edu/MyCC.
Still not sure or need help? REQUEST MORE INFO.
Meet Your Instructors
Debi Chase-Deitrich
Debi has a BS from Southern Illinois University in Vocational Education and an MA in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University. She has been an Early Care and Education instructor at Clover Park Technical College for more than 25 years. She spends most of her time as an off-campus faculty member at child care centers doing training, observations and coaching. She has developed four courses that she teaches in the evenings for our Early Care & Education Degree, where she serves as an adjunct faculty member. She loves visiting all her child care sites and helping each work toward providing a higher level of quality care.
Bldg 10, Rm 125
253-589-6083
debi.chase@cptc.edu
Lisa Colombini Hyke
Bldg 10, Rm 125
253-589-5574
lisa.colombini@cptc.edu
Rebecca Edmondson
Rebecca has a BA from Pacific Lutheran University in Elementary Education/Social Work, a Child Development Associate Credential, and a Master's in Intergrative Curriculum in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University. She's been at CPTC for more than 10 years and is a tenured instructor, and she teaches classes on campus in our evening Early Care & Education program. She also works in the community at state-licensed child care centers teaching our Foundation Early Care & Education Certificate.
Bldg 10, Rm 125
253-589-5611
rebecca.edmondson@cptc.edu
Linda Felch
Bldg 10, Rm 125
253-589-6091
linda.felch@cptc.edu
Carol Holland-O'Hern
Bldg 10, Rm 125
253-589-5509
carol.holland-ohern@cptc.edu
Early Care & Education Program Information Sessions usually occur at 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
To learn more about information sessions, visit cptc.edu/info-sessions.
Visit the Academic Calendar at cptc.edu/academic-calendar to see when the next information session is scheduled.
STORIES ABOUT THE EARLY CARE & EDUCATION PROGRAM
Butler walked onto the Clover Park Technical College (CPTC) Lakewood campus ready for something new.
Clover Park Technical College's Hayes Child Development Center recently received reaffirmation of accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Do you want to build a snowman? What about a house? Families worked together to build creative crafts at a hands-on event at Clover Park Technical College’s Hayes Child Development Center Nov. 20.
