Introducing the CCFT “Introduction to the Child Care Profession” Course

If you’re passionate about doing meaningful work with young children, and want to build a strong foundation for a career in early childhood education, the Child Care Foundational Trainings (CCFT) series offers essential, entry-level courses designed just for you. One of the first—and most impactful—courses in the series is Introduction to the Child Care Profession (revised for 2024).

In this blog, I’ll walk you through what this course offers, why it matters, what you’ll learn, who it’s for, and tips for how to get the most out of it.

Why CCFT? Why Now?

Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families recognized that many of the foundational trainings used in the child care field were outdated—some nearly 20 years old.

To ensure that new and current early childhood professionals receive consistent, high-quality, evidence-based training, DCF revised the CCFT curriculum.  The updated approach ensures:

• Relevance: Reflecting current research, best practices, and evolving regulations

• Consistency: Across providers and regions, offering the same baseline knowledge

• Accessibility & formats: Including face-to-face, virtual, and blended courses, with availability in English, Spanish, and Hmong (subject to trainer availability)

• Real-time interaction: Emphasizing group discussion, peer engagement, and instructor feedback rather than purely correspondence formats

  
  

These changes mean that whether you are new to the field or seeking to upgrade your credentials, the CCFT courses give you a solid, contemporary foundation to build on.

Course Overview: Introduction to the Child Care Profession

Course title (example): CCFT — Introduction to the Child Care Profession (Revised 2024)This course is intended to be the first or one of the first courses taken in the CCFT sequence.

What is this course?

This foundational training offers a broad yet deep introduction to the early childhood care profession. It sets the tone for subsequent courses by helping you see the role of a child care provider not just as a job, but as an educator, advocate, and partner in children’s development. You’ll gain both theoretical and practical guidance for working with children and families.

Who should take it?

This course is ideal for:

• Individuals entering or considering a career in early childhood or child care

• Existing child care staff seeking official credentials

• Those needing to satisfy educational requirements for licensed or certified child care in Wisconsin

• Aspiring center directors, family child care providers, or teacher assistants who want to strengthen their foundational knowledge

Because the training is noncredit, you won’t earn college credit—but it does meet many of the educational requirements for certification and licensing in Wisconsin’s child care system.

Format and logistics

• The training may be offered in face-to-face, virtual live, or blended formats (a combination of virtual/in-person plus self-paced online).

• As of the revised models, correspondence-only formats have been discontinued (i.e., purely asynchronous without interaction).

• The course may include reading, discussion, applied exercises, reflection, and peer interaction

• You’ll typically see the course listed in the Wisconsin Registry’s statewide training calendar (via the Registry’s training portal)

• It is not required to take the courses in a rigid order, but it is recommended to begin with an “introduction” to build foundational understanding before moving on to more specialized topics.

Course Objectives & Topics

While the precise syllabus may vary slightly by training provider, here are the typical topics and learning objectives you can expect in Introduction to the Child Care Profession:

1. History and Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

   • Understand historical roots, movements, and philosophies that shape current practices

   • Explore how cultural, social, and policy forces have influenced early childhood care

2. Roles and Responsibilities of a Child Care Professional

   • Examine ethical standards, professional expectations, and code of conduct

   • Understand the multifaceted roles: educator, caregiver, observer, communicator, advocate

3. Child Growth and Development

   • Overview of developmental domains (cognitive, language, physical, social-emotional)

   • Milestones and variations in development

     
     

   Learning Environments & Engagement

   • Design developmentally appropriate environments

   • Use of play, materials, scheduling, transitions, and routines

   • Strategies for inclusion, individualization, and scaffolding

4. Families, Culture, and Diversity

   • Building respectful, effective partnerships with families

   • Culturally responsive practices

   • Reflecting on one’s own biases, beliefs, and assumptions

5. Observation, Assessment, and Documentation

   • Methods of observing and documenting children’s behavior and learning

   • Using observations to guide planning and support children’s growth

6. Health, Safety, and Well-being

   • Basics of maintaining safe and healthy environments

   • Policy, regulation, and prevention

   • Recognizing signs of potential developmental or social-emotional concerns

7. Professional Growth and Advocacy

   • Career pathways, credentials, continuing education

   • Advocacy for children, families, the profession

   • Reflection and ongoing improvement

By the end of the course, participants should feel confident in their identity as early childhood educators, understand core principles of practice, and be prepared to move into more specialized training (e.g., infant/toddler care, family child care, or advanced strategies).

Why This Course Matters (to You, to Children, to the Field)

For you as a professional

• Strong foundation: This course gives you the language, concepts, and mindset to approach the work thoughtfully rather than reactively.

• Credential gain: Completing it fulfills part of the educational requirement for certification or licensing in Wisconsin—opening doors to jobs and advancement.

• Confidence & community: Engaging with peers and trainers helps you feel less isolated and more supported, especially early in your career.

• Career clarity: You’ll get a clearer picture of the roles, demands, and joys of early childhood work, helping you decide which path (center, family child care, leadership) fits best.

For children and families

• When caregivers are well trained, children experience richer interactions, safer environments, and developmentally appropriate practices.

• Family partnerships are essential; this course helps you establish respect, communication, and collaboration with families.

• Equity and inclusion are core: being culturally responsive, aware of implicit bias, and attentive to diversity improves children’s outcomes and sense of belonging.

For the field and society

• High-quality early childhood programs benefit society in many long-term ways—better school readiness, fewer remedial interventions, improved social outcomes, and economic return on investment in early education.

• Consistent, updated training helps raise the standard across providers so no matter where a child goes, they receive care informed by current research.

• Trained professionals are better able to advocate for support, policy improvements, and sustainable early care systems.

This course—Introduction to the Child Care Profession—is more than a checkbox for licensure. It’s a chance to orient your heart and mind toward early childhood work with reflection, clarity, and professionalism. It gives you vocabulary and community, as well as actionable strategies you can start applying right away.