Undergraduate Certificate Programs

The Kentucky Early Childhood Director Credential and Certificate are available to you while taking college courses in either the Early Childhood Education program, or the Child & Family Services program. The purpose of the credential and certificate are to provide individuals with the education and skills necessary for managing an early childhood program.  This program is entirely online.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes of the certificate program include an understanding of and the ability to apply the following in the early childcare setting

• State and national regulations and laws pertaining to the education of young children.
• Ethics and the National Association for the Education of Young Children Code of Ethics.
• Programming for families and children.
• Supervision and staff development.
• Health and safety for young children.
• Financial management and marketing in the early childcare setting.
• Community collaboration/resource management to benefit young children and their families.

Curriculum: Students must earn a grade of "C" or better in these courses.

• FACS 191 Child Development
• FACS 193 Curriculum Development for Young Children
  
• FACS 335 OR 336 Infant-Toddler Development and Pre-K / Kindergarten Development
  
• FACS 299 Administration of Early Childhood Programs

Additional Information

• Students interested in completing this certificate program must submit a completed Undergraduate Certificate Form. For more information, please feel free to contact  Dr. D'Lee Babb.
• Once these four courses have been completed, students must complete paperwork within the university to be mailed to the state for certification. For more information, please feel free to contact Dr. D'Lee Babb.
• Individuals wishing to earn this credential may also be eligible for the KIDS NOW Scholarship program for college coursework.

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The Family Home Visiting Certificate, an entirely online program, is a unique certificate program at WKU! The Family Home Visiting Certificate prepares students to provide in-home services to families who are engaged in a variety of voluntary programs designed to strengthen the family, or assist a child with a specific need.  Select examples of home visits includes working with families:

• At risk for child abuse and neglect
• Who need additional parenting skills
• Whose children are involved in First Steps
• Who are adopting a child
• Whose children attend Head Start

Home visiting occurs in a variety of fields such as:

• Early Childhood Education
• Child and Family Studies
• Education (Elementary, Middle, and High School)
• Nursing
• Social Work
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Gerontology 

(This is not an exhaustive list of careers that involve home visiting as part of their practice.)

Potential clients of home visits include:

• Children receiving therapies in the home,
• Parents needing healthy pregnancy information and parenting skills,
• Families at risk for abusing and neglecting their children;
• Those who need other support services.

Curriculum:  Students must earn a grade of "C" or better in these courses.

•      FACS 395 Child and Family Stress (offered online Spring, Summer, Winter)
  
•      FACS 494 Parenting Strategies (offered Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)
•      FACS 497 Family Home Visiting (offered Spring & Summer)
•      Elective course chosen with advisor.

The elective is chosen after a discussion between Dr. Darbi Haynes-Lawrence (Family Home Visiting Certificate advisor) and the student.

Majors:

Examples of majors of students who have graduated with the Family Home Visiting Certificate include: Child & Family Services, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Family & Consumer Science Education, Elementary Education, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, or the Bachelor's of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Additional Information:

• For more information, please contact Dr. Haynes-Lawrence!
• After students declare the Family Home Visiting Certificate on TOPNET, they must apply here, and pay the $15 application fee.

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