Ontario College Advanced Diploma in Child and Youth Care

In the Child and Youth Care program, you'll develop the knowledge and skills to advocate for children, youth and their families as you learn to encourage them to be more resourceful and to confidently use their voices. This three-year Child and Youth Care program will examine the principles, philosophies and characteristics of relational child and youth care practice from child and youth-centred, developmental and ecological perspectives (1). It will also cover themes related to professional boundaries, child and adolescent mental health, psychology, counselling theories, crisis theory, intervention and counselling (group, individual, family), abuse, advocacy and anti-oppression. As a graduate of this advanced diploma program, you'll be ready to provide prevention and early intervention strategies, assessment, treatment, and counselling to children and adolescents who may be in crisis, struggling with psychological challenges, or who are dealing with other stressful situations. As such, you'll become a valuable member of the mental health profession and use your knowledge and skills to provide life-changing support from a strength-based paradigm.

Academic RequirementsOntario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older)Grade 12 English (C or U), or equivalent (minimum grade required), or take the Centennial English Admission Test