Laredo College offers two levels of study: a two-year Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Child Development and a one year Child Development Assistant Certificate. Both are based on the principal that quality care makes a positive difference in the lives of children and their families.

The Child Development Program is designed for persons who want a challenging and rewarding career in educating and caring for young children. Through the development  of practical skills, knowledge of theory, and a nurturing attitude, students learn to be quality child care providers for children. In response to community demand for qualified child care providers, the Child Development program at Laredo College addresses student competencies and standards for early childhood programs developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), State Board for Educator's Certification Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Standards, and The Child Development National Credential Program.

The Child Development Program provides teacher training through a variety of courses. It requires students to spend a major part of their credit-hour time working with young children in various early childhood programs. In addition, it has expanded the role of the CDP in Laredo and the surrounding communities by offering online courses.

Instruction is centered on lecture, lab, internship, and field experience courses, which offer direct experience in a variety of settings.

Child Development, Associate of Applied Science

Child Development Assistant, Certificate I

Due to the nature of the curricula and the criteria for child-care center and public school volunteers, determined by the state licensing agency, there are special entrance and continuation requirements for the completion of CDEC and TECA Child Development courses. As required by The Texas Health and Human Services Minimum Standards for Child Care Centers, October 2018 (P20330-0000), the student must comply with the following:

• A student must be able to supervise children at all times as defined by Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §746.1205.

TAC §746.1205. What does Licensing mean by "supervise children at all times"?

Supervising children at all times means that the assigned caregiver is accountable for each child's care. This includes responsibility for the ongoing activity of each child, appropriate visual and/or auditory awareness, physical proximity, and knowledge of activity requirements and each child's needs. The caregiver must intervene when necessary to ensure children's safety. In deciding how closely to supervise children, the caregiver must take into account:

• Ages of the children;
• Individual differences and abilities;
• Indoor and outdoor layout of the child-care center; and
• Neighborhood circumstances, hazards, and risks.
• At the beginning of each semester, students must complete a background check as defined by TAC §745.607.

TAC §745.607 Requesting Background Checks. What are background checks?

• A name-based criminal history check: the Department of Public Safety (DPS) conducts a comparative search between a person’s name and the DPS database of crimes committed in the State of Texas;
• A DFPS central registry check: DFPS conducts a comparative search between a person’s name and the DFPS central registry, which is a DFPS database of people who have been found by DFPS’s divisions of Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services, or Licensing to have abused or neglected a child; and
• An out-of-state central registry check: a comparative search between a person’s name and another state’s database of persons who have been found to have abused or neglected a child.
• A student must not have any criminal convictions as defined by §745.661.

TAC §745.661 Criminal Convictions and Central Registry Findings of Child Abuse or Neglect

What types of criminal convictions may affect a person’s ability to be present at an operation?

(a) A felony or misdemeanor conviction under Texas law, the laws of another state, or federal law may affect a person's ability to be present at an operation. There are three charts with information regarding specific crimes that may affect a person's ability to be present at an operation. Each chart specifies whether a conviction permanently or temporarily bars a person from being present at one of the relevant operations while children are in care, whether a person is eligible for a risk evaluation, and whether a person who is eligible for a risk evaluation may be present at the operation pending the outcome of the risk evaluation. The three charts are:

(1) Licensed or Certified Child Care Operations: Criminal History Requirements;

(2) Foster or Adoptive Placements: Criminal History Requirements; and

(3) Registered Child Care Homes and Listed Family Homes: Criminal History Requirements.

(b) The three charts listed in subsection (a) of this section will be reviewed and updated annually, published every January as an "In Addition" document in the Texas Register, and are available on the DFPS website at www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/.

(c) A person currently on parole for a felony offense must have an approved risk evaluation prior to being present at the operation.

(d) For any felony offense that is not specifically enumerated in the relevant chart listed in subsection (a) of this section, a person convicted within the past 10 years for the offense must have an approved risk evaluation prior to being present at the operation.

(e) Substantially similar federal offenses and offenses in other states will be treated the same as the similar Texas offense.

(f) This rule does not apply to a person who requires a background check under this subchapter because of the person's responsibilities as a DFPS or Licensing employee or volunteer. The person will have a background check conducted by DFPS or HHSC as part of the person's application to become an employee or volunteer.

• Must have a negative T.B. test or negative chest x-ray from the USA during the first two weeks of the semester. If an outbreak were to occur, an additional T.B. test may be required.
• Must submit two letters of reference (not from relatives).
• Must sign a code of ethics statement at the beginning of the semester.

NOTE: Entrance and continuation requirements listed above also apply for CDEC 2187, CDEC 2188 and CDEC 2486. Internships are on or off-campus at either LC Camilo Prada Child Development Center or at a Contracted Webb County Head Start Center.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the curricula and the criteria, for public school volunteers, there are special entrance and continuation requirements for the completion of EDUC courses. All students enrolling in EDUC classes requiring field experience assignments must turn in a clear criminal history background check from the Webb County Sheriff's Department or The Laredo Police Department indicating that the student does not have a criminal history.

NOTE: To receive credit for CDEC, EDUC, & TECA courses, the student must complete all CDEC, EDUC, & TECA, courses with a grade of "C" or better.

NOTE: If the criminal history check identifies any criminal convictions, the student will not be permitted to continue in any CDEC Internship course or EDUC course.

NOTE: Successful completion of all undergraduate, lower level courses, taken at Laredo College does not guarantee acceptance to a transfer institution.

NOTE:  Due to the pandemic, some of the internship external agencies require specific Covid-19 protocols.  As a guest in the facility, programs must adhere to the agency's requirements  If you chose not to adhere to the agency's or Laredo College Protocols, you may not be able to complete your internship requirements, therefore you may need to "withdraw" from the course.