Child Care Worker 1

Course Description

HEV0870 – Child Care Worker 1 is a 150-hour Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) course carrying zero credit hours. It is Occupational Completion Point A — the opening component — of Florida's 600-hour Early Childhood Education program (FLDOE program number E300100, CIP 0419070913).

The course prepares students for entry-level employment in a child care setting and, critically, is designed to satisfy Florida's regulatory training requirements. The program is approved by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) as meeting the training requirements for child care personnel and preschool teachers under Rule 65C-22.001(6), F.A.C. That approval is what makes the coursework directly usable for employment rather than merely educational.

Content covers the foundations a person needs before being responsible for young children: child growth and development across the early years; health, safety, and nutrition including illness prevention, sanitation, safe sleep, and food service; supervision and the ratios and practices that keep children safe; guidance and behavior using developmentally appropriate approaches; observation and documentation; communication with children, families, and colleagues; and the legal and ethical responsibilities of child care personnel, including mandatory reporting of suspected abuse and neglect.

Mandatory reporting deserves particular attention. Florida law requires any person who suspects child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to report it to the DCF hotline, and the duty attaches to the individual rather than to the organization. Child care workers are among the professionals most likely to observe indicators.

The course is offered at approximately 17 Florida institutions, predominantly district technical colleges and career centers: Charlotte Technical College, Daytona State, Fort Myers Technical College, Hillsborough's technical programs, Immokalee Technical College, Lake Technical College, Lorenzo Walker Technical College, North Florida College, Orange Technical College, Pinellas Technical College, Radford M. Locklin Technical College, Sarasota County Technical Institute, Suwannee-Hamilton Technical Center, Sheridan Technical College, Southwest Technical College, Traviss Technical College, and Withlacoochee Technical College.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

• Describe patterns of child growth and development from infancy through the early years.
• Identify developmentally appropriate expectations and activities for each age group.
• Apply health and sanitation procedures including handwashing, diapering, and illness prevention.
• Apply safety practices including supervision, ratios, safe sleep, and hazard identification.
• Describe nutrition requirements and safe food handling in a child care setting.
• Respond appropriately to emergencies, injuries, and illness within the scope of training.
• Apply developmentally appropriate guidance and behavior support strategies.
• Observe and document children's behavior and development objectively.
• Communicate effectively with children, families, and colleagues.
• Describe the legal and ethical responsibilities of child care personnel.
• Identify indicators of child abuse, abandonment, and neglect, and comply with Florida mandatory reporting requirements.
• Describe Florida licensing standards applicable to child care facilities.
• Prepare and maintain a safe, welcoming learning environment.
• Demonstrate professional and employability behaviors appropriate to the setting.

Optional Outcomes

• Describe inclusive practice for children with disabilities and developmental delays.
• Describe cultural responsiveness and family diversity in early childhood settings.
• Describe early literacy and language development activities.
• Describe infant and toddler care practices specifically.
• Describe trauma-informed practice in early childhood.
• Complete first aid and CPR certification for the pediatric setting.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Child growth and development — physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional domains.
• Developmentally appropriate practice — expectations, activities, and environment by age.
• Health and sanitation — handwashing, diapering, illness exclusion, and universal precautions.
• Safety and supervision — ratios, active supervision, safe sleep, playground safety, and transportation.
• Nutrition and food service — requirements, allergies, and safe handling.
• Emergency response — injury, illness, emergency procedures, and evacuation.
• Guidance and behavior — positive guidance, redirection, and developmentally appropriate expectations.
• Observation and documentation — objective recording of behavior and development.
• Communication — with children, families, and the care team.
• Legal and ethical responsibilities — confidentiality, professional conduct, and scope.
• Child abuse identification and reporting — indicators, the DCF hotline, and the individual duty to report.
• Florida licensing standards — 65C-22, F.A.C., and facility requirements.
• The learning environment — setup, materials, and routines.
• Employability skills — professionalism, reliability, and teamwork.

Optional Topics

• Inclusive practice and children with disabilities.
• Cultural responsiveness and family diversity.
• Early literacy and language development.
• Infant and toddler specific care.
• Trauma-informed practice.
• Pediatric first aid and CPR.

Resources & Tools

• FLDOE Curriculum Framework, Early Childhood Education (E300100) — the authoritative source for standards, OCP structure, and hours.
• Early Childhood Professional Certificate (ECPC) Program Guidelines — FLDOE; the regulatory requirements governing this program.
• Rule 65C-22, Florida Administrative Code — DCF child care licensing standards.
• Florida DCF Child Care Training — the 40-hour introductory training requirements and competency examinations.
• Florida Abuse Hotline (1-800-96-ABUSE) — the reporting mechanism, and Chapter 39, Florida Statutes.
• Caring for Our Children — national health and safety performance standards for early care and education.
• NAEYC — developmentally appropriate practice and the Code of Ethical Conduct.
• SkillsUSA — the program's career and technical student organization.
• Practicum placement in a licensed child care facility.

Career Pathways

• Childcare Worker (SOC 39-9011) — the entry-level destination; licensed child care centers, family child care homes, and Head Start.
• Preschool Teacher (SOC 25-2011) — reached through the later OCPs of this program.
• Teacher Assistant (SOC 25-9042) — public school prekindergarten and elementary settings.
• Child Care Center Director — requiring the Florida Director Credential and experience.
• Family Child Care Home operator — with DCF licensing.
• Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) instructor — Florida's statewide VPK program, with additional credential requirements.

Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten program and School Readiness funding sustain steady demand across every county, and child care staffing shortages have been persistent. The field's compensation is modest relative to its responsibility, which is worth stating honestly to prospective students, but entry is accessible and the credential ladder is well defined.

Special Information

Where this course sits — the four-OCP ladder

The Early Childhood Education program is 600 clock hours across four Occupational Completion Points, each 150 hours and each separately employable:

• OCP A — HEV0870 Child Care Worker 1 (150 hours)
• OCP B — HEV0871 Child Care Worker 2 (150 hours)
• OCP C — HEV0872 Teacher Aide, Preschool (150 hours)
• OCP D — HEV0873 Preschool Teacher (150 hours)

A student who completes only OCP A leaves with an employable credential; the ladder is designed so that people can work while continuing.

The credential this program leads to

Completing all courses in the program and meeting additional requirements — including a 480-hour direct work experience requirement with children five years old or younger while enrolled — qualifies a student for the FLDOE Early Childhood Professional Certificate (ECPC) and eligibility for a DCF Staff Credential. Prospective students should understand that the work experience requirement runs concurrently with coursework and needs planning; it is not satisfied by classroom hours.

DCF approval is what makes this employable

The program is approved by the Florida Department of Children and Families as meeting the training requirements for child care personnel under 65C-22.001(6), F.A.C. Separately, Florida requires child care personnel to complete introductory training with competency examinations passed at 70 or better. Students should confirm that their institution's program holds current DCF approval — the coursework serves its purpose only if it does.

Basic skills and admission

The FLDOE framework sets basic skills levels of Mathematics 9 and Communications 9, normally demonstrated by TABE. Because students work with children, programs require Level 2 background screening under Chapter 435, F.S. before placement, and a disqualifying record is a genuine barrier. Prospective students with any history should raise it with the program before enrolling rather than after.

Mandatory reporting is a personal legal duty

Worth stating plainly. Florida law requires any person who knows or suspects child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to report it to the Florida Abuse Hotline. The duty attaches to the individual, not to the employer, and cannot be discharged by telling a supervisor. Failure to report carries criminal penalty. Child care workers see children daily and are among the professionals most likely to notice indicators, which is why the course treats this as a core competency rather than an awareness topic.

Articulation

This is clock-hour CTE and does not carry college credit or transfer as general education. However, Florida maintains a statewide articulation agreement for Early Childhood Education that awards college credit toward an A.S. in Early Childhood Education for specified credentials — a meaningful pathway for students who later pursue a degree. Confirm current terms with the receiving institution, since articulated credit depends on the specific credential earned.