The Early Childhood Education program prepares students to work with young children from birth to age five. Students will learn to address the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical needs of a diverse range of children and families.
The program equips students to either become employable or to enhance their current roles in various environments, including family home care, Head Start programs, preschools, home visiting, and parent education. KCC partners with high schools, colleges, and universities to facilitate a smooth transition toward advanced degrees or licensure.
KCC’s program is designed to accommodate both full-time and part-time students, including those already working in the field. Most program requirements are available online for students who prefer distance education. KCC collaborates with community partners to train well-qualified early childhood education providers.
For more information regarding credentialing and accreditation please see the Accreditation page.
This program may provide prior learning credit and extended learning opportunities for persons previously or currently employed in related professions.
For more information see the Credit for Prior Learning page.
Associate of Applied Science
- Early Childhood Educator Emphasis AAS (curriculum map | catalog)
One Year Certificate
Less-Than-One-Year Certificate
FAQ
What are the program admissions requirements?
All education students must successfully pass a criminal background check.
I want to work with kids, what are my options?
KCC's Education program includes two different paths: Early Childhood Educator
(child care and pre-K) and Paraeducator (K-6). If you are interested in social work, a Psychology degree would be a better fit.
What jobs can you get with the Early Childhood Educator AAS degree?
Child care provider, preschool teaching assistant, preschool teacher,paraprofessional. This degree also directly leads to the fully online Early Childhood Development Bachelor's degree with Southern Oregon University.
Careers in Early Childhood Education
Median Annual Salary
- United States:
$36,430 - Oregon State:
$42,238 - Klamath Region:
$39,833
2025-2035 Employment Projection
2% GrowthEntry Level Educational Requirements:
High School DiplomaProspective Jobs
| Teacher assistant | Social and human service assistant | Preschool teacher |
| Preschool childcare and administrator | Social worker | Elementary school teacher |
All data was gathered from the State of Oregon Employment Department and Bureau of Labor Statistics
State of Oregon Employment Department.