Advanced College Diploma - Child and Youth Care (CYCA)

Learn to work with children and youth who exhibit social, emotional, and behavioural challenges that may be associated with mental health, cognitive and neurodevelopmental issues, socioeconomic factors, trauma and abuse, and involvement with the justice system. Child and Youth Care practitioners engage with at-risk children, youth, and their families in a variety of settings as they navigate these challenges and build on strengths and capacities to facilitate positive changes. Students explore, practice, and implement a variety of evidence-informed therapeutic prevention and intervention strategies that are based on an understanding of risk and resiliency, the ecological perspective, relational practice, human development, family systems, equity and inclusion, and exceptionalities. We emphasize experiential interactive learning, community service and opportunities for social innovation, entrepreneurship, and changemaking.

Child and Youth Care practitioners engage and work with children, youth and their families across a wide variety of settings including:

• public and private schools
• group homes
• residential centres
• foster care agencies
• day and live-in treatment programs
• youth detention centres
• community-based child and youth development programs
• early intervention programs
• recreational programs
• psychiatric centres
• rehabilitation programs
• pediatric health care centres within hospitals
• home-based care, respite and treatment
• private practice