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Studies & Degrees in Early Care and Education

Early care, also called early care and education or early learning and care, is the field that looks after and educates children from birth until they start school. It covers two overlapping jobs. Childcare workers, in the words of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development. Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten.

For babies and toddlers, care and education cannot be separated. Routines such as feeding, changing and settling to sleep are the moments in which a child builds trust in an adult, and a steady relationship with each family is part of the work. Programmes in this subject therefore teach child development and daily practice side by side.

What students learn

Courses combine theory with supervised practice in nurseries and preschools. Camosun College in Canada describes its Early Learning and Care diploma as preparation to foster each child's emotional, intellectual, linguistic, creative, physical, cultural and social development, working with infants, toddlers, preschool-age children and children with diverse abilities. Students complete three practicum placements during the two years.

The associate degree in Early Childhood Development at Delaware Technical Community College shows what a typical curriculum contains: childhood nutrition and safety, infant and toddler methods with a lab, child development, assessment of young children and a final teaching practicum. Students must earn at least 61 credits.

Health and safety are a constant element. In the Spanish vocational diploma, the modules include personal autonomy and child health, play and its methodology, and first aid. In the United States, according to the BLS, some states require childcare staff to hold certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.

Qualifications and levels

  • United States: requirements depend on the job, the state and the employer. For childcare workers they range from no formal education to a certification in early childhood education; the credential states most often require is the Child Development Associate (CDA), which must be renewed every 3 years. Preschool teachers typically need at least an associate's degree, and in public schools generally a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field. Delaware Technical Community College offers two associate degrees: Early Childhood Development, and Early Care and Education (Birth to Second Grade), designed for transfer to a four-year university in order to become certified to teach from kindergarten to second grade.
  • Canada (British Columbia): the Early Learning and Care diploma at Camosun College takes 2 years (16 months of study). To work as an early childhood educator (ECE) or ECE assistant in a licensed child care facility in the province, a person must be certified by the ECE Registry.
  • Spain: the qualification is a higher vocational training (FP) diploma, Técnico Superior en Educación Infantil, a 2,000-hour grado superior. It qualifies holders to work as educators in the first cycle of early childhood education.

Where to study early care

SpainExchange lists 7 schools for this subject: three in the United States and one each in Canada, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. The North American schools include Delaware Technical Community College, which teaches its early care programmes in Dover, Georgetown and Wilmington; Camosun College in Victoria, whose programme is based at the Interurban campus and is open to international students; Piedmont Technical College in South Carolina; and Florida Atlantic University.

Qualifications in this field are tied to local licensing rules, so the place of study largely decides where the certificate is valid. Before enrolling, ask the school which authority recognises the programme and what a graduate must do to work in another state or country. Because the practicum takes place with children and families, students also need a good working level of the local language.

Careers

Graduates work in childcare centres, preschools, family day care and programmes for children at social risk. Delaware Technical Community College lists roles such as preschool teacher, child care centre director and Head Start teacher. In Spain the diploma also leads to work in play centres, libraries, leisure centres and farm schools with children up to six years old. Camosun College notes that its diploma gives transfer credit towards a degree in Child and Youth Care.

In the United States there were about 1,010,300 childcare worker jobs in 2025, according to the BLS. Employment is projected to decline 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, but about 150,300 openings a year are expected because many workers leave the occupation. Preschool teachers held about 583,200 jobs, with projected growth of 4 percent over the same period.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between early care and preschool teaching?

They overlap. Childcare workers attend to children's daily needs and early development, often from infancy, while preschool teachers educate and care for children under 5 before kindergarten. Many programmes prepare students for both.

How long does it take to qualify?

Two years is common: an associate degree in the United States, a two-year diploma at Camosun College in Canada and a 2,000-hour higher vocational diploma in Spain. Teaching in US public schools generally requires a bachelor's degree.

Is first aid part of the training?

Often, yes. The Spanish diploma includes a first aid module, and some US states require childcare staff to hold CPR and first aid certifications.

Can international students enrol?

It depends on the school. Camosun College states that its Early Learning and Care diploma is open to international students; elsewhere, ask the admissions office before applying.