Child Care Basics

Technical Certificate

The Child Care Basics Certificate will introduce students to foundational information for working in a group child care setting. This certificate provides a great starting point for a career in early childhood education and ladders into the Nicolet College Child Care Services Embedded Technical Diploma and the Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education.

Students in the Child Care Basics certificate will be introduced to basic knowledge and skills required for working in a group child care setting. This certificate includes the Health, Safety, and Nutrition course, which provides students with a basic understanding of Wisconsin Department of Children and Families licensing requirements, and includes needed state-mandated trainings. Additionally, this certificate includes the Curriculum Development course, which provides students with an overview of the how’s and why’s of teaching in a child care classroom setting.

This 6-credit certificate is designed to acknowledge the basic educational requirements for a child care teacher assistant. Completers of this certificate will be recognized as Wisconsin Registry Career Level 7. This certificate is a great choice for child care programs looking to support staff’s professional development, as well as improve Youngstar ratings.

Program Outline
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Term 1
Course #	Course Title	Credits
1030716600	ECE Curriculum Planning Description Examines the components of curriculum planning in early childhood education. Integrates strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives, examine the critical role of play, establish a developmentally appropriate environment, examine care giving routines as curriculum, develop activity plans that promote child development and learning, develop unit plans that promote child development and learning, and analyze early childhood curriculum models.	3.00
1030716700	ECE Health Safety and Nutrition Description This 3-credit course examines the topics of health, safety, and nutrition within the context of the early childhood educational setting. This course includes training for Abusive Head Trauma, SIDS, and Mandated Reporter certifications.	3.00

At A Glance

How You'll Learn

On Campus

Online Classes

Summer 2026 Start Date

May 18 - Summer Term Start
June 15 - Additional Term Start for Select Courses

Fall 2026 Start Dates

August 31 - 16-Week Fall Term Start
October 26 - Additional 8-Week Term Start for Select Courses

Spring 2027 Start Dates

January 11 - 16-Week Spring Term Start
March 15 - Additional 8-Week Term Start for Select Courses

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Program Tuition*

$967

*Total cost for degree completion is estimated by current course requirements, books, and supplies. Tuition and fees are set by the Wisconsin Technical College System and subject to change.

Potential Indirect Costs

You may experience these additional costs, not charged by Nicolet, estimated based on length of program.

Transportation

$1,150

Food/Housing

$1,144

Personal Expenses

$1,146

What You'll Learn

Provide a healthy, safe, and nutritionally sound child care environment
Apply developmentally appropriate practices when planning learning experiences and materials for children