Bachelor of Child and Youth Care (Honours) Humber College - Lakeshore Campus, Canada

Humber’s Bachelor of Child and Youth Care degree program provides you with the knowledge and skills required for in-depth work with children, youth and families. The program is based on the professional practice of child and youth care supported by the disciplines of psychology, sociology, community development, political science and education. The curriculum focuses on the theory and research of relational practice: building relationships to support children and youth in crisis or going through experiences of challenge and change.

You’ll learn from highly qualified professors, as well as from guest lecturers from the child and youth care practice field, youth in care and community representatives. You’ll have the unique opportunity to develop key skills under supervision in our state-of-the-art interview labs, therapeutic play laboratory setting, our family practice room and children’s activity room.

Your courses integrate the study of developmental, preventative and therapeutic approaches in child and youth care and will teach you direct methods such as interviewing and counselling, responding to abuse, therapeutic play, and other intervention modalities taught from a strength-based perspective and within a caring, anti-oppressive framework.

The first two years of the program provide you with a comprehensive understanding of child and youth development, as well as current methodologies in child and youth care professional practice. In the final two years, you will be able to engage in courses related to five areas of concentration in the program – youth justice and advocacy, social policy and research, approaches to care, community development and youth engagement, and international perspectives. The curriculum and work placement experiences throughout the program will support you to select a focus for your final thesis project in fourth year.

Learning outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Describe, analyze and evaluate key concepts, ethics, values and theoretical approaches (historical and contemporary) in child and youth care and related community development.
• Analyze issues of social diversity and equality and their effects in relation to child and youth care and community development.
• Plan, implement, assess and evaluate child-centred & family-centred programs to meet the needs of clients, staff, families and community.
• Identify the challenges and rewards of working with children and youth especially those with physical, behavioural, social, and developmental issues in independent, organizational, institutional and community settings.
• Identify and evaluate alternatives to the current child and youth intervention strategies, with a view to anticipating future directions.
• Advocate for the holistic development of children and youth.
• Develop and maintain constructive relationships and partnerships with clients, professionals and the community demonstrating effective conflict management skills.
• Describe and evaluate the complex role of the community in child and youth development.
• Identify and implement the process of program management, measuring the cost and effectiveness of child and youth care and development.
• Examine & apply various research methods assessing the appropriateness of their use.
• Adhere to the laws, codes, regulations, standards and practices to protect the health, safety and welfare of clients, the public and other professionals involved in child and youth care community development initiatives with children and youth.
• Identify and implement community development processes measuring the cost and effectiveness of child and youth community development programs.
• Analyze contemporary issues in child and youth care including nutrition, literacy, poverty, homelessness, addictions, violence, substance use, crime, resilience and determinants of health.
• Evaluate social justice and political issues in regards to child and youth care and community development practices at local, national and global levels.
• Develop curriculum, programs and strategies for children, youth and the community which reflect current educational theory and pedagogy.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, self-confidence, self-direction, self-management, self-reflection and self-care in one’s professional development

Work Placement
Beginning in the first semester, you will have the opportunity to participate in an introductory field placement preparation course that will enable you to become familiar with the field of child and youth care. In your second semester, you will prepare for your field placement in Semester 3, by participating in the Preparing for Professional Practice course. The field placement in Semester 3 is 200 hours and will support you to develop your skills working in the community with children, youth and families.    

In addition, you will be required to complete a 14-week typically unpaid field placement between third and fourth year.

The combination of field placements will enable you to build therapeutic relationships, role model your professional skills and link academic theory to child and youth care practice.