Child Development Practitioner – Skilled Trades Ontario

Child Development Practitioner (CDP)

A Child Development Practitioner (CDP) plans and implements age‑appropriate services, supports, and programs for children that facilitate physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth. CDPs deliver services in multiple settings, including childcare centres/facilities, preschool sections of hospitals and schools, and Ontario Early Years Centres. Specifically, a Child Development Practitioner:

• practises and promotes health
• fosters relationships with children
• plans developmentally appropriate programmes and supports emergent learning practices
• cultivates family, cultural, and social relationships
• applies intervention strategies
• participates in a team environment with families, colleagues, community members, and support services providers
• works in an interdisciplinary team environment and communicates with other professionals
• practices professionalism and adheres to ethical standards

An apprenticeship training program consists of on‑the‑job and in‑school training. The time frame to become competent in the trade is 6000 hours (approximately three years), consisting of 5280 hours of on‑the‑job work experience and 720 hours of in‑school training.

An apprenticeship involves practical training provided on‑the‑job by a skilled worker or trainer. The skills or competencies to be developed are set out by the trade’s Apprenticeship Training Standard and are recognised by the industry as essential to the practice of the trade.

As these essential skills are developed, the apprentice’s sponsor or trainer signs the relevant sections of the training standard to indicate that the apprentice has met the individual training objectives by demonstrating the skills required of a skilled worker or journeyperson in the trade.

A Child Development Practitioner apprenticeship includes reportable subjects based on theoretical training, which includes but is not limited to instruction in:

• health, safety, and nutrition
• child development
• foundations of early learning environment
• preschool and school‑age learning environment
• child protection
• inclusive practice and advocacy
• infant and toddler learning environment
• philosophies and models of early childhood development
• child, family, and community
• legislation & social policy in early learning
• advanced placement

Depending on the training delivery agency, in‑school training may be available in one of the following ways:

• block release (full‑time, for a set number of weeks)
• day release (one day per week from September to June)

This trade has an apprenticeship programme that is administered by Skilled Trades Ontario. Upon completion of an apprenticeship programme, Skilled Trades Ontario issues a Certificate of Apprenticeship, the highest level of certification available for the trade.

Because there is no certifying exam in this trade, Skilled Trades Ontario does not issue a Certificate of Qualification.

Because this trade is non‑compulsory, the information of individuals practising this trade will not appear on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register.