Child & Family Development - Missouri State University - West Plains

Child & Family Development from Missouri State University - West Plains is a Campus Associate Child Care degree that prepares you for a Human Services career. What type of work would I do if I studied Child and Family Development? A Child and Family Development degree will prepare you for a job as a teacher aide, preschool teacher or childcare aide/worker. Teacher aides perform duties that are instructional in nature or deliver direct services to students and/or parents. They serve in a position for which a teacher or another professional has ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services. Preschool teachers instruct children (normally up to 5 years of age) in a preschool, day care or other child development center. They conduct activities designed to develop social, physical and intellectual skills needed for primary school. (Missouri Works Web site) Child care aides/workers monitor and care for children in schools, businesses or institutions, and perform a variety of tasks such as dressing, feeding, bathing and overseeing play. What type of degree will I earn at Missouri State University-West Plains? Students enrolled in Child and Family Development may obtain a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree that will include both general education and child and family development courses. The AAS degree will ensure that you have the educational skills necessary to work at a high level in this career area. The Associate of Applied Science in Child and Family Development degree articulates well into Springfield's Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Development degree. Required classes are now available on the West Plains and Mountain Grove campuses. Why should I major in Child and Family Development? As the demand for qualified child care workers, teacher aides and preschool teachers grows, federal and state governments are increasing the educational requirements for these professions. The federal government has issued a mandate requiring that at least 50 percent of all Head Start teachers in center-based programs have an associate , baccalaureate or advanced degree in a field related to early childhood education. The government is expected to begin requiring bachelor's degrees in the near future. What salary can I expect to earn? Earnings for these positions vary based on geographic location, education and work experience. May 2007 data from the Mo. Department of Economic Development shows that, statewide, the average annual salary for childcare workers was $18,550, the average annual salary for preschool teachers was $24,710, and the average annual salary for teacher assistants was $20,470. In the south-central region, the average annual salary for childcare workers was $15,776, the average annual salary for preschool teachers was $24,745, and the average annual salary for teacher assistants was $17,807. View more details on Missouri State University - West Plains, MO . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Child Care courses.