Early Childhood Development

Early Childhood Counts

The earliest years of life are critical to building a foundation for lifelong learning. Young children need settings in which they can learn and explore in a nurturing and educationally rich environment, with teachers who understand how to foster their social, emotional and cognitive development. If you want to become an Early Childhood Educator and create quality educational programs for young children, welcome to the Chabot College Early Childhood Development (ECD) Program.

How do I prepare for a career in the Early Care and Education Field?

Course offerings in Chabot‘s ECD program align closely with Community Care Licensing regulations and the requirements for the Child Development Permit granted by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The number of units/degrees required to work with young children vary by place of employment.

The Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Sciences for Transfer (AS-T) degrees at Chabot combine a background in the science of child development and theories of learning, as well as hands-on experience working with children.

Chabot College ECD alumni are currently working throughout Alameda County in early care and education settings from Family Child Care to Head Start and State Preschool. We are proud of our former students, many of whom return after completing their degrees to take classes for professional development or as preparation to become site supervisors and program directors.

The AA in Early Childhood Development at Chabot College is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The accreditation term runs from March 2019 through March 2026.

2021 NAEYC Accreditation Letter