Human Services

Health & Human Services certificate

Health and Human Services is a large and growing field. Programs are offered in this field at UCFV and elsewhere in disciplines such as nursing, social work, dental hygiene, kinesiology and physical education, early childhood education, and child & youth care. The certificate program will provide students with a knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the challenges and opportunities available in this demanding and dynamic field.

Health and Human Services enter at the Grade 11 level and complete high school and a one-year UCFV Health and Human Services certificate over 2½ years.

This program is offered only at the Career Technical Centre, jointly operated by UCFV and School District #34 (Abbotsford). Phone 604-850-8672, or fax 604-850-0667, or see www.careertechcentre.com

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION/CHILD and YOUTH CARE

Website: www.ufv.ca/ece

UCFV offers a number of options for people interested in careers in the field of childcare and education. These include:

Bachelor of Arts degree in Child and Youth Care. The Child and Youth Care degree program was developed in collaboration with the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria. You may ladder into the CYC program at the second- or third-year level. (See entrance requirements in the BA in Child and Youth Care section following.)

Child Welfare Specialization. This BA (CYC) degree specialization is offered in cooperation with the School of Social Work and Human Services (SWHS). For more information, please see the BA in Child and Youth Care — Child Welfare Specialization section, and the course descriptions for CYC 350, 351, 394, 410A & 401B, and 496.

Early Childhood Education diploma. A 21-credit post-certificate program allowing for specialization in special needs or infancy.

Speech and Language diploma. This is a part-time, evening, post-certificate–level set of eight courses (and one daytime practicum).

Early Childhood Education certificate. A three- semester program leading to provincial licensing as an early childhood educator.

Family Childcare certificate. A six-course program for people who want to provide care for young  children in a home setting. Offered in collaboration with the Continuing Studies department.

Society is changing, and the education of young children is now seen as a high priority. It is ironic that in the past the most formative period in human development has received the least attention from educators and society in general.

UCFV offers an Early Childhood Education program that meets licensing requirements of the Provincial Licensing Board. The program is based on the provincial curriculum developed by the Ministry of Education, Skills and Training and adopted by Early Childhood Education training programs throughout the province as the minimum standard for educating adults to work with young children.

What is Early Childhood Education?

If you choose a career in early childhood education, you will work with young children to enrich and support their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. This career offers the chance to fill a meaningful and fulfilling role in society.

Early childhood education may involve working with children from infancy through 12 years of age in a variety of settings and programs. Your career goal in early childhood education may be to work as an early childhood assistant, daycare or preschool supervisor, childcare worker, elementary school teacher aide, parent and adult educator, respite care provider, infant development assistant, speech therapy assistant, infant/toddler supervisor, or special needs supervisor. The UCFV ECE program can also help you continue on the career/education ladder with its transfer arrangements to the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care offered at UCFV.

Employment prospects

Employment prospects are excellent in the early childhood fields. A high percentage of graduates are employed (approximately 90%) and many local daycare and preschool centres have been started by program graduates. Some of these centres are now used by the ECE program as field sites where students get practical training. Early Childhood Education graduates of UCFV have become an important part of the childcare community in the Fraser Valley.

The early childhood field is expanding in B.C. and there is a shortage of graduates for the care of children under three.

Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care

General description

The Child and Youth Care degree program was developed in collaboration with the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria. Beginning in 2002, all graduating CYC students will receive a UCFV degree.

This program provides degree-completion opportunities for students from a range of human service disciplines. The CYC program is tailored to part-time students and those already in the workforce, with core course offerings scheduled for spring, evenings. Students without a background in the human services field may apply to the program following successful completion of entrance requirements.

The BA in Child and Youth Care is designed to offer credit-based professional education to practitioners in human services agencies working with children, youth, and families. Most child and youth care workers are balancing agency, family, personal, and professional needs as they pursue training or upgrading in an increasingly demanding and complex field.

Child and youth care is an expanding field. It crosses a range of work settings and areas of practice, including residential/group home programs, regular and alternative school programs, daycare and early childhood programs, child life/hospital-based programs, juvenile justice/ probation/young offender programs, special needs foster care, parent/counsellor resources, programs for people with mental disabilities, and early intervention and child development centres.

Workers, supervisors, managers, and trainers in these programs bring a diverse set of backgrounds and credentials to their positions. Increasingly, an undergraduate degree is sought by employers for the more desirable employment situations in most areas in the field. This has led to a growing number of practitioners in line supervision and management positions investing in professional education to complete this BA degree.

The breadth of the child and youth care field requires a primary curriculum focus on generic development and social competence as a context for therapeutic intervention.

The degree is awarded following successful completion of a minimum of 120 recognized credits. You may enter the program upon completion of related certificate and diploma programs, or one full year of university-transfer courses, providing they meet the program requirements. The 200-level CYC courses may be taken by students prior to acceptance into the degree program with special permission of the program head. The program of study includes core and elective courses.

The program curriculum was originally developed by the UVic School of Child and Youth Care. Changes may be made in consultation with the BC CYC Education Consortium.

Entrance requirements

1. Admission to the CYC program requires at least 30 credits of work as defined below:

a. 30 credits of university-level courses with a grade point average of at least 2.33 (C+), including six credits of first-year English and/or Communications with a minimum combined
grade point average on the six credits of C+ or better (see Note 2);

or

b. A certificate in Early Childhood Education or other human service certificate program with a grade point average of at least 2.84 (B), including six credits of first year English and/or Communications with a minimum combined average on the six credits of C+ or better (see Note 1).

Note 1: Students who have completed an ECE or other human services certificate or diploma program with a 2.84 (B) average or higher may be given block credit for this training (up to 30 credits for a certificate and 60 credits for a two-year diploma).

2. An orientation and interview is normally required prior to admission to the program. Paid or volunteer experience with children or youth in a program setting is considered in the admissions decision.

It is strongly recommended that applicants for the program have a current first aid certificate and updated Rubella and TB clearance.

How to apply

1. Submit the application fee along with your UCFV application for admission form to the Admissions and Records (A&R) office. Application forms are available form any A&R or Student Services office. You can also print an application form from our website at www.ufv.ca/ar, or you can apply directly through the internet at www.pas.bc.ca. See the Admission chart for a complete list of application dates and general admission information.

Additional documents required for a complete application:

• letter of intent outlining past experience and career objectives
• You must submit an official sealed transcript from every post-secondary institution you have attended, whether or not you have completed courses there. Transcripts received in the original sealed envelope of the issuing institution are considered to be official.

2. Applications should be submitted by March 31 for the Fall semester. Applications received after that date will be reviewed only if seats remain available. No applications will be accepted after May 1.

3. Students seeking application to the CYC degree program are required to attend an orientation. Once your application is complete, you will be informed of the orientation date and time.

4. You will be advised of an admission decision and provided with registration information. A deposit is required when you register (see the Fees and Other Costs section). This money will be applied to the tuition fees and is not refundable.

Fees and additional costs

Fees stated are in effect for 2003/04 and are subject to change for 2004/05.

Fees for a full courseload of 15 credits are approximately $1,700. See the Fees and Other Costs section for more information.

Visiting students

Since the CYC courses in the program are transferable to the University of Victoria, some students may wish to take them at UCFV for the purpose of completing their studies at UVic. UVic students require a Letter of Permission from UVic as well as an application to UCFV as a visiting student. Please consult the Registrar’s office at UVic. Applicants visiting from other institutions may not receive the same priority in registration as UCFV students.

Courses at UVic and other institutions

Students who wish to pursue the degree program more quickly than the part-time offerings at UCFV allow, may arrange to take distance education courses through UVic on an individual basis. You must obtain permission in advance from the UCFV program head. A Request for Letter of Permission form for this purpose may be obtained from the Admissions and Records office. You must still apply to UVic as a visiting student.

Total transfer and course challenge credits may not normally exceed 90 credits; however, students pursuing a second degree are permitted to transfer a maximum of 50% of the CYC degree credits from their previous degree. All CYC degree requirements must be met. Not more than 18 upper-level (300 and 400 course numbers) credits will count toward the upper-level requirements for the degree.

Graduation

All degree candidates must complete and submit the Request to Graduate form to the Admissions and Records office by April 1.

All program requirements must be completed by April 30. This includes any transfer credits from other institutions. Students who enroll in the Spring semester to complete their program will qualify for the following year’s graduation.

Standing required for continuance

In order to graduate from the BA in CYC, a C+ or higher is  required in the following:

• All CYC core courses
• ENGL/CMNS requirements
• Developmental psychology requirement.

Students will be required to maintain a cumulative grade point average and semester grade average of C+ (GPA 2.33) or higher. Students who fail to meet the required semester and/or cumulative GPA will be placed on academic warning. Students will be expected to repeat any course from the categories listed above if they received lower than a C+ grade. If a student fails to meet the GPA requirements after being placed on academic warning, they may be withdrawn from the program.

Students receiving academic warning for low grades or unacceptable student behaviour, will not normally be permitted to participate in the practicum component of the program.

Regulations concerning practica

The program head reserves the right to approve any agency or institution that provides placements for student practica, and to change any placement assigned to a student. Students are placed in practicum settings in accordance with their professional background and current learning needs. You have the right to be informed in writing of the reasons for any change in placement. You may be required to withdraw from a practicum course if none of the available practicum agencies will accept you.

A criminal record check is required prior to practicum placement.

Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from practicum sites.

Program requirements

Completion of at least 120 credits of which at least 42 must be upper-level (300–400) with a minimum grade point average of 2.33.

Program outline

First Year

Note1: CMNS courses can be replaced with first-year university English.

Note2: PSYC 101 & 102 are prerequisites to PSYC 250.

Note: Graduates of approved ECE certificate and diploma programs are eligible for block transfer credits.

Second Year

Third Year

Note: Students may not register for 300-level core CYC courses until they have completed all 200-level core CYC courses and are admitted to the program.

Fourth Year

Note:  Students may not register in any 400-level core CYC courses, except 423 and 425, until they have completed all CYC 200- and 300-level core courses.

Recommended areas for elective courses could include arts, science, human services, English, and criminology. Electives must be university transferable. CYC-sponsored electives may also be offered under courses CYC 260, 360 and 460. To confirm elective transferability, contact the ECE/CYC program head.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the Course descriptions section.

Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care — Child Welfare Specialization

Program outline

First Year

Note1: CMNS courses can be replaced with first-year university English.

Note2: PSYC 101 & 102 are prerequisites to PSYC 250.

Note: Graduates of approved ECE certificate and diploma programs are eligible for block transfer credits.

Second Year

Third Year

Note: Students may not register for 300-level core CYC courses until they have completed all 200-level core CYC courses and are admitted to the program.

Fourth Year

Note: Students may not register in any 400-level core CYC courses, except 423 and 425, until they have completed all CYC 200- and 300-level core courses.

Recommended areas for elective courses could include arts, science, human services, English, and criminology. Electives must be university-transferable. CYC-sponsored electives may also be offered under courses CYC 260, 360, and 460. To confirm elective transferability, contact the ECE/CYC program head.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the Course descriptions section.

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