Child Development Practicum
The Child Development curriculum prepares students to provide developmentally appropriate care to young children. Students learn to be sensitive to and respectful of the needs of children and their families. The discipline also prepares students for the early childhood work environment. Professionalism, ethics and appropriate teaching and guidance methods are taught as well as practiced through 300 hours of practicum experience.
Students enrolled in the Delta College Child Development Program are required to be of good moral character and be able to obtain the proper health and safety documentation.
Child Development Practicum
A practicum is a required experience working with children in a specific early childhood setting. Fieldwork is required for certain CD classes (see below) and each will have particular requirements in terms of age group, setting and/or program type. More information will be provided for each fieldwork experience required.
Students are required to secure their own practicum sites, based on their geographic location and career goals, while following the site requirements for each course as described above. Students should select several possible site options as soon as possible and directly contact the program or teacher personally. Introduce yourself as a Delta College practicum student and then detail the type of classroom setting you are looking to volunteer in.
Our students have been participating in practicums across several neighboring counties for many years and are familiar with what you are needing to do. Your individual instructor will also provide paperwork for you to share with your mentor teacher at the beginning of each course/semester.
Courses that require a practicum
Your instructor will discuss practicum specifics in your CD practicum course.
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- CD110
- 3 hours per week x 10 weeks = 30 hours
- Infant/toddler, 2 and under
- Can be a co-requisite with CD113
- CD113
- 3 hours per week x 10 weeks = 30 hours
- Pre-kindergarten – 3rd grade, ages 3–8
- Can be a co-requisite with CD110
- CD115
- 9 hours per week x 10 weeks = 90 hours
- Pre-kindergarten – kindergarten, ages 3–5
- Center or school
- CD117
- 12 hours per week x 13 weeks = 150 hours
- Head Start, Great Start Readiness, kindergarten
- Public or parochial
- CD110
Required documentation
The following documentation is required to be submitted and complete before you begin your practicum course. If any of the required documentation is not complete before your CD practicum course begins (CD 110, CD 113, CD 115, CD 117), you may be dropped from the course.
Paperwork to be submitted and approved prior to beginning fieldwork experiences.
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- Copy of Michigan Driver’s License or State ID
- Criminal History release (PDF)
- Hepatitis B vaccination release (PDF)
- CD Practicum application (PDF)
- Bloodborne Pathogens training
- Practicum Agreement (PDF)
- Negative TB test results dated within the previous year (CD115 and CD117 students only)
Finding a Practicum Site
You are responsible for finding your own practicum site.
Tips for obtaining a site:
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- Be sure you understand the basic requirements of your practicum so you can share the information with the site.
- Research appropriate sites that are most convenient for you to complete your hours.
- Reach out to the site director, lead teacher or coordinator to ask about the possibility of completing a practicum at their site.
- If they are receptive to you completing your practicum with them, ask to meet in person.
Seeing the site, meeting the staff and some of the children will help determine if
you and the site are a good match.
- Take the Practicum Agreement (PDF) with you to this appointment.
- Discuss weekly days and times you will be expected to complete your practicum.
- Ask what requirements and expectations they have of you.
- If you and the site decide you will complete the practicum with them, both of you
will sign the Practicum Agreement.
- Inform the site that Delta will send them your documentation packet once everything is complete.
- Deliver all of the required documentation back to Delta College.
Ethical code of conduct and commitment
Students in the Child Development program commit to following the Delta College Student Code of Ethical Conduct, Student Integrity of Academic Work and the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (PDF).
Students who have criminal history records could be dropped from CD courses and may be ineligible to receive a license for a child care facility, work as child care staff or be a volunteer with unsupervised access to children in a licensed child care facility. For more information, please read Child Care Exclusionary Offenses (PDF).