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Early Childhood Education

Transform your passion for working with children into a professional career.

Whether you are looking to enter the workforce quickly through a specialized certificate, earn while you learn in our apprenticeship program, or pursue a transfer-ready A.A.S. degree for B-K licensure, we provide the path to get you there.

Why Choose CFCC for Early Childhood Education?

CFCC’s Early Childhood Education program provides the expert training needed to support children’s healthy growth from infancy through middle childhood. Grounded in National Association for the Education of Young Children professional standards, our curriculum balances deep dives into child development theory with hands-on, real-world experiences in diverse learning environments.

  • Holistic Development: Master strategies to support children’s social, emotional, cognitive, creative, and physical growth.
  • Research Driven: Educated, well-prepared, early childhood educators are a key driver of high-quality learning environments and positive child outcomes, including gains in literacy, math, and social-emotional development. Formal preparation in early childhood strengthens educators’ ability to support children’s healthy growth across all areas of development (Von Suchodoletz et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2025).
  • Credential Ready: Our coursework aligns directly with NC DCDEE Credentials, including the NC Early Childhood and School-Age credentials.
  • Proven Quality: Join a program nationally accredited by the NAEYC Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs.

Find Your Path

Apprenticeship Information

Early childhood education apprenticeships combine hands-on experience with classroom learning to train individuals in working with young children. These programs typically involve working under the guidance of experienced educators in various settings, such as preschools and childcare centers. Apprentices gain practical skills in child development, learning strategies, and classroom management while also studying foundational theories and best practices in early education. The benefit of this approach is twofold as it 1) helps build a skilled workforce and 2) supports the professional growth of aspiring educators by providing real-world insights and mentorship.

Apprenticeship Courses
Apprenticeship Partners

Pender County Schools  Spark Academy

Apprenticeship Contact Information

Brittany Hewett
Program Director
(910) 362-7566
bshewett832@cfcc.edu

Program Mission

The mission of the CFCC Early Childhood Education Program is to prepare thoughtful, skilled professionals for meaningful careers in early childhood education.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • PLO 1: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of a wide range of types of assessments, their purposes, and their associated methods and tools.
  • PLO 2: Students will demonstrate their ability to support and engage families and communities and reciprocal relationships.
  • PLO 3: Students will demonstrate they understand and use teaching skills that are responsive to the learning trajectories of young children and to the needs of each child, recognizing that differentiating instruction, incorporating play as a core teaching practice, and supporting the development of executive function skills critical for young children.

NC DCDEE Credentials

Eligible to apply for the NCDCDEE Credentials listed below through the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education Workforce Education Unit after successfully completing the following community college coursework

  • NC Early Childhood Credential

    NCECC = Intro to Early Childhood Education (EDU 119)

  • NC School-Age Child Care Credential

    NCSACCC = Child Development II (EDU 145 ) and School-Age Development and Program (EDU 235 )
    or Child Development II (EDU 145) and School-Age Program Administration (EDU 263)

  • NC Child Early Childhood Administrator Credential

    NCECAC = Early Childhood Administration I (EDU 261) and Early Childhood Administration II ( EDU 262)

Accreditation

The Career Track A.A.S., B-K Licensure Transfer, and the Non-Licensure Transfer Associate Degrees, at Cape Fear Community College are accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children .

The current accreditation term runs from 7/2019 through 7/2026.

National Association for the Education of Young Children

National Association for the Education of Young Children
1401 H. St. NW, Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20005

Student Success

Program Completers

Academic Year

 Number of program completers % of program completers who were attending full-time (at the time of completion) % of program completers who were attending part-time (at the time of completion)
2021/2022 6 67% 33%
2020/2021 3 33% 67%
2019/2020 8 0 100%
Program Completion Rate

Academic Year

 Percentage of those candidates who completed the program within 150% of the published timeframe Percentage of those candidates who completed the program within 100%, 200% (twice) or 300% (three times) of the published time frame (Please circle, underline or bold the indicator above on which the program will report.)
2021-2022 100% 100%
2020-2021 100% 100%
2018-2019 NA NA
Institutional Selected Data

Academic Year

 % of Part-Time Candidates Enrolled in the Program (% of Total Enrollment) Retention Rate among Part-Time Candidates % of Full-Time Candidates Enrolled in the Program (% of Total Enrollment) Retention Rate among Full-Time Candidates
2021-2022 78% (78) 39% 22% (22) 38%
2020-2021 66% (29) 28% 34% (15) 33%
2019-2020 72% (42) 40% 28% (16) 31%

Related Links

NAEYC
naeyc.org

NC Association for the Education of Young Children
 NCaeyc.org

NC Division of Child Development and Early Learning
ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us

Child Care Services Association info on T.E.A.C.H., Wages, Child care, etc
childcareservices.org

Frank Porter Graham
fpg.unc.edu

Smart Start of New Hanover County
newhanoverkids.org

NC Institute for Child Development Professionals
ncicdp.org

Career and Job Information


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