Careers

• Assistant Teacher
• Child Care Director
• Child Care Teacher
• Early Childhood Curriculum Specialist
• Infant/Toddler Teacher
• Licensing Specialist
• Parent Educator
• Preschool Teacher
• Public School Paraprofessional
• Resource and Referral Specialist

 

Contacts

Deborah Gutierrez	863-784-7032
Program Specialist, Corporate and Community Education/Child Development
Renee Smalley	863-784-7034
Staff Assistant II, CCE

 

Child Development Programs

SFCC has been providing training for child care professionals in Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto counties for many years, and we strive to continually offer quality, affordable, and easily accessible programs to meet the needs of our community.  We currently offer child care training at all of these levels:

• The state-mandated introductory child care training courses required for employment in Florida child care centers and family child care homes
• The Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC), which was formerly referred to as the CDAE training program
• A two-year associate in applied science (A.A.S.) degree in child development and education
• The approved program management course required for the state of Florida Child Care Director’s Credential
• On-going workshops, conferences, and seminars through which in-service hours and CEU’s may be earned for credential renewal and professional development
• “Made to order” training for child care centers, upon request

To learn more about child care training, and for details about each of these early childhood education opportunities at SFCC, please review the information packet.

Our staff is also available to assist you with questions regarding child care training and credentialing and other early care and education issues, and to provide you with referral information to help you obtain the answers to your questions.

Financial Aid Options

Financial aid is not currently available to cover the costs of the state-mandated courses, workshops/conferences, or Department of Children and Families (DCF) testing. However, for qualifying migrant and seasonal farm workers, scholarships may be available through the Florida Farm Workers Jobs and Education Program. To see if you qualify, contact Tara Jefferies.

The Teacher Education and Compensation Helps Early Childhood (T.E.A.C.H.) scholarship program may help cover expenses for the FCCPC courses and A.A.S. degree in child development courses. For more information on the scholarship, contact Deborah (DeArce) Gutierrez, or visit the T.E.A.C.H. Web site.

Students may also qualify for Pell grant, federal student loans, or SFCC Foundation scholarships to cover some expenses for the A.A.S. degree in child development courses. To determine eligibility, begin by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When you have received your response to the FAFSA application, visit the SFCC Financial Aid Office.

For A.A.S. courses, SFCC also offers a tuition installment plan. Inquire about this option at the SFCC Financial Aid office or SFCC Cashier's Office.