Fall 2024: Online Diploma option - Application Closed
Fall 2025: Apply Now!
Students interested in the in-person Child and Youth Care Diploma can apply on Education Planner BC, selecting "Child and Youth Care Full Time (Bachelor or diploma) Year 1 entry".
Gain the skills to work with at-risk children, youth and their families through the two-year Diploma in Child and Youth Care program. You’ll learn how to make a difference in the life of a child or adolescent dealing with abuse, neglect, addiction or family breakdown and who may have behavioural or learning difficulties.
Once you graduate, you’ll be qualified for frontline positions working directly with children and youth in schools, community centres, parent-child education settings, residential settings, programs for street-involved youth, addictions services and more.
Take the Child and Youth Care Diploma online
The Child and Youth Care Diploma now offers online and in-person options. The online diploma program allows you to study and complete the diploma from the comfort of your own home and get practical experience within your own community, while the in-person option is offered at our Coquitlam Campus.
Don’t meet the English requirement for this program?
If you do not meet the English proficiency requirements, you can register for Douglas College English Upgrading courses. No placement test is required for Child and Youth Care applicants. Email upgrading@dogulascollege.ca and ask about the English Upgrading pathway to Child and Youth Care.
Students who wish to complete the CYCC Diploma must apply for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care (BA CYC). Students may graduate with the diploma after completing the first two years of the 4-year degree program.
Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more.
For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts.
Graduation Requirements For Students Completing By Summer 2023:
Graduation Requirements For Students Completing After Summer 2023:
Course Requirements:
Indigenous Pathway students: Completion of the Indigenous Pathway courses noted below will substitute for the CYC courses noted with a (+).
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
|
Semester I |
||
|
CFCS 1110 (+) |
Introduction to Community |
3.00 |
|
CYCC 1141 (+) |
Introduction to CYC Practice |
3.00 |
|
Change and Development: Lifespan |
3.00 |
|
|
Activity Programming for Children and Youth |
3.00 |
|
|
English |
3.00 |
|
|
Semester I credits |
15.00 |
|
|
Semester II |
||
|
Counselling and Relationship Building with Children and Youth |
3.00 |
|
|
Supporting Behavioural Change |
3.00 |
|
|
CYCC 1240 (+) |
Practicum |
4.50 |
|
Continuum of Substance Use |
3.00 |
|
|
Semester II credits |
13.50 |
|
|
Semester III |
||
|
CYCC 2211 (+) |
The Professional Community: Policies, Standards, Legislation and Children |
3.00 |
|
CFCS 2333 (+) |
Change and Development: Working from a Family Perspective |
3.00 |
|
Working with Others in Groups |
3.00 |
|
|
Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence |
3.00 |
|
|
Elective |
Select any CFCS or University Transferable course |
3.00 |
|
Semester III credits |
15.00 |
|
|
Semester IV |
||
|
Understanding Aboriginal Perspectives and Experiences |
3.00 |
|
|
Practicum |
4.50 |
|
|
CYCC Practice: Advanced |
3.00 |
|
|
Family Violence and Abuse |
3.00 |
|
|
Elective |
Select any CFCS or University Transferable Course |
3.00 |
|
Semester IV credits |
16.50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Program Credits |
|
60.00 |
A University Transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide.
* Students who have successfully completed all of the following 4 courses
are exempt from taking CFCS 2432 and will take 3 credits of University Transferable elective(s) instead.
Indigenous Pathway (+)
Students who complete courses in the Indigenous Pathway will receive substitute credits as follows:
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
|
|
Working in Communities will substitute for Introduction to Community |
3.00 |
|
|
Introduction to Aboriginal Child, Youth and Family Practice will substitute for Introduction to Child and Youth Care Practice |
3.00 |
|
|
Aboriginal Children, Youth and Families: Transforming Legistlation and Policies will substitute for Professional Community: Policies, Standards, Children and Families |
3.00 |
|
CYCC 2333 |
Strengthening the Family Spirit: Working from Aboriginal Perpectives with Elders' Teachings will substitute for Change and Development: Working from a Family Perspective |
3.00 |
|
CYCC 1242 or CFCS 1242 or CYCC 1240**
|
Practicum will substitute for Practicum |
4.50 |
**CYCC:1240 Practicum in an Indigenous organization or program mainly serving Indigenous children, youth, and/or families.
Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
Child and Youth Care Counsellors (CYCC) work with children, youth and families who are experiencing social, emotional or behavioural stress. What distinguishes CYCC from other helping professions is that we work with people in their daily environments.
This career involves dealing with people. That means that good interpersonal skills are a must. This field also involves dealing with people who are experiencing stress and crisis in their lives. Many of the children and youth we work with present very challenging behaviours. To thrive you need to be able to deal with stress and challenging behaviours. You also need to understand the difference between being a caring helper and being a rescuer. If you need people to need you, this is not the profession for you.
Being an effective Child and Youth Care Counsellor also involves an ongoing commitment to your own personal growth. The people we work with constantly challenge our notions of who we are.
The Faculty of Applied Community Studies offers specialized upgrading classes for students looking to enter human services programs at Douglas. If you do not meet the English language entrance requirement, this is a good option for you. See Upgrade for Human Service Programs for more information.
Yes. Both the diploma and degree programs are offered on a part-time basis.
The Child and Youth Care Counsellor Diploma is a two-year program that will provide you with a diploma upon completion. It will prepare you for a variety of jobs in the child and youth care field. If you complete the diploma, you can also transfer into third year of the degree program at Douglas or into a related degree program at a number of other universities.
The Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care is an additional two years of study that you can complete after you complete the two-year Diploma program (4 years total). Earning your degree will allow you to work in more advanced and higher-paying jobs in the child and youth care field, as well as open more doors for further continuing your education.
Yes. All the CYC degrees in British Columbia are considered equivalent. University of Victoria, Malaspina University College, University College of the Fraser Valley and Douglas College all offer equivalent degrees. All of the programs are members of the Child and Youth Care Educators Consortium and teach to the same learning outcomes. The programs work in partnership with other institutions in British Columbia and Alberta that offer CYC diploma and degree programs.
The Indigenous Child and Youth Care pathway is an optional entry point within the degree program. It is made up of several specialized courses and a practicum that you take in place of other courses in your second year. For more details, see the FACS Indigenous Pathway department page.
There is no standard rate of pay. At the starting end, some private contractors pay about $15 per hour. At the higher end, unionized settings pay $19 to $22 per hour. Degree graduates working in supervisory or advanced positions can earn significantly higher salaries.
Practicums are supervised worksite learning sessions. You will go and work in a child and youth care setting, giving you the opportunity to practice skills learned in the classroom. Both the diploma and degree program include practicums. For more information, see the Worksite Learning page.
Excellent - surveys of graduates show an employment rate of virtually 100%. See the Employment page for more details on employment opportunities for graduates.
Child and youth care practitioners work in schools, community centres, parent-child education settings, residential settings, programs for street-involved youth, addictions services and a variety of other settings.
Career opportunities include: