Why Choose Penn Foster?

Associate Degree - Complete in as little as 4 months per semester*

Earn your Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education — at home, at your own pace. There are certain skills that can help you begin a career in Early Childhood Education. With Penn Foster College, you can earn your Early Childhood Education Associate Degree quickly and conveniently.

Learn valuable skills with these courses and more:

• Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education
• Health, Safety and Nutrition
• Child Psychology and Language and Literacy Development in Young Children
• Curriculum for Early Childhood Education

And you’ll earn your Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education at home – no classroom needed!
Earn your Degree in the comfort of your home and at your own convenience. Early Childhood Education professionals do exciting and important work in the classroom and outdoors in play and field trips.

You'll learn important skills used by Early Childhood Education professionals, such as how to promote language and literacy development, how to use play as part of the teaching process, promoting developing social skills, planning daily activities for groups within a specific age range, working with children with special needs, and much more!

Gain practical experience through our partnership with Bright Horizons Family Solutions.
Students will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience by applying for their externship at a Bright Horizons facility near them.

*The estimated completion time for this program is based on completion times for learners enrolled in this program from 11/2020 - 10/2021, excluding withdrawals.

Undergraduate Certificate - Complete in as little as 8 months*

Earn your Undergraduate Certificate in Child Development Associate (CDA) Preparation (13 credits) — online and at your own pace with Penn Foster College.

The Penn Foster College Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Preparation program is designed to help students fulfill the 120 hour educational component and compile the required portfolio of items necessary to obtain the CDA credential. Learn efficiently and confidently with courses that are aligned with CDA requirements in these specific settings:

• Infant/Toddler
• Preschool
• Family Child Care

Program Objective

This program has earned the CDA Gold Standard from the Council for Professional Recognition and includes classes in health and safety, best practices for working with children, and growth and development. The college-level course work and the CDA credential are key stepping stones on the path of career advancement in this field.

Many of the course credits can be transferred to Penn Foster College’s Early Childhood Education A. S. Degree.

*The estimated completion time for this program is based on completion times for learners enrolled in this program from 11/2020 - 10/2021, excluding withdrawals.

Career Diploma - Complete in as little as 4 months*

Prepare to pursue a career as a child care professional with Penn Foster Career School’s online Child Care Professional Career Diploma program! Start learning new skills at home, on your own time, at your own pace. The Child Care Professional Career Diploma program helps students prepare for entry-level positions such as a Teacher Aide, Preschool Aide, In-home Child Care Provider, or Nanny. The program will also provide 38 continuing education units (CEUs) for students working with children ages birth through eight.

Why Choose Penn Foster Career School for Child Care Professional Training

• Choose between two Specializations: Family Child Care or Center-Based, to tailor your program based on what child care setting you’d like to work in
• Get in-field training with the optional work experiences available in this program. You can apply through Bright Horizons — an official partner of Penn Foster Career School!
• Participate in live webinars with your instructors and peers
• Program includes projects that will teach you real-world application of knowledge
• Some of your course credits can be transferred to Penn Foster College’s Early Childhood Education Associate degree program
• If you are interested in seeking your CDA (Child Development Associate) credential, your program closely aligns with the eight educational areas as mandated by the Council for Professional Recognition and can be used as the educational component prerequisite
• Program aligns to the outcomes for quality education of the National Association of Young Children (NAEYC)

Your program includes:

• Your personalized online student homepage and learning portal
• Access 24/7 to Penn Foster’s online Student Community, plus immediate membership in the Child Care Professional academic group
• Customize your study plans and keep track of your progress with goal-setting and progress-tracking tools

*The estimated completion time for this program is based on completion times for learners enrolled in this program from 5/2021 – 4/2022, excluding withdrawals.

Certificate - Complete in as little as 6 months*

Learn Child Psychology — at home, at your own pace with Penn Foster Career School.

You can learn Child Psychology at home! The Penn Foster Child Psychology Certificate Program provides a basic understanding of the principles of psychology and a more specific understanding of the psychological makeup of children and adolescents. You will learn about:

• Stages of growth and development for children up to the age of 12
• The relationship between biology and behavior
• Patterns of growth, change, and stability from conception through adolescence
• Childhood and adolescent disorders

And you’ll learn it all at home, at your own pace – no classroom needed!

Get more information today, Contact us or enroll online and you could be working on your first lesson – and taking the first steps toward a new career in a matter of minutes!

Learn Child Psychology for business and personal enrichment.

Why choose Penn Foster?

Our Child Psychology Certificate Program can help you take steps toward:

• Improve your child management skills.
• Understand how your own behavior affects a child in your care.
• Be a better, more caring, and effective parent or caregiver.

You will explore the methods and problems of research into children, some methods of therapy, and the application of new findings in family settings, play groups, day cares, and schools.

*The estimated completion time for this program is based on completion times for learners enrolled in this program from 5/2021 – 4/2022, excluding withdrawals.

Certificate - Complete in as little as 4 months*

Learn Comprehensive English Skills at home and at your own pace with Penn Foster Career School.

You can learn comprehensive English skills at home! The Penn Foster English Skills program helps you learn to read and write skillfully in English - quickly and conveniently.

You will learn about:

• Parts of speech
• Word usage and vocabulary
• Sentence skills and the writing process

And you’ll learn it all at home – no classroom needed!

*The estimated completion time for this program is based on completion times for learners enrolled in this program from 5/2021 – 4/2022, excluding withdrawals.