Child Development Associate Degree Online
Guide to programs offering a Child Development Associate Degree
Looking after someone else's children in a daycare environment isn't for everyone. They cry, they steal each other's toys, they spill their juice, and then somehow manage to wipe their sticky fingers all over your pants. Yep, looking after children takes a mountain of patience, but if you've got what it takes then you can make a pretty good living doing this.
The reason why getting a child development associate degree is such a great idea is because this field is growing rapidly, 14% by 2014 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With more and more couples working full-time jobs, facilities are opening up at lightening speed to take care of their children. With a child development associate degree, you're assured a higher pay bracket and the skills you need help these children learn and grow quickly.
It can also be a really fun job. In spite of the challenges, early childhood is a magical time and if you love being around kids then your days will be filled with joy as you help them discover new things about the world they're living in. You'll get to help them explore their creativity, lead them in group activities, and be a positive role model in this vital part of their life. You'll also have ample opportunity to design learning programs for the kids, manage the classroom, resolve academic problems, conduct field trips, and a ton of other things that people sitting in an office will never get to do. There's no doubt that this field can be non-stop fun, if you've got the right personality.
You'll be a much better teacher, however, with some education of your own about how to interact with and teach your charges. An associate degree in child development is going expose you to fascinating subjects such as child psychology, infant and toddler care, health, safety and nutrition, child growth and development, and child communication.
There's a lot to learn in this field, and an associate degree will be a great first step towards a Bachelor's Degree if you decide you want to pursue it. The higher you move up with your degrees, the more opportunities you have in terms of your career. You could go on to teach elementary, middle, or high school if that's where you decide to go. For public schools, however, you will need at least a Bachelor's Degree in education, and that all starts with your associate degree in child development.
This is also an excellent field to become an entrepreneur. If you're interested in earning more than the standard $33,000 of a Child Care Administrator, then opening up your own daycare is a great way to skyrocket your income. You can't, of course, do this without any credentials. Parents will want to know why you're qualified to look after their children, and having an associate degree in child development will certainly give them the reassurance you need that you know what you're doing.
Although this field does have its challenges, it also has more than its fair share of fun and excitement. It can be a very rewarding career and if you love kids then it's probably the perfect fit for you.
