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  Child Development Department
   

Mineral Area College offers three career pathways to Early Child Development . The pathways will prepare the student in a career working with children birth to eight years of age in a quality child care setting. The courses allow the student to establish a solid foundation in working with the developing child.

  • The first pathway of Early Child Development prepares the student for the nationally recognized Child Development Associate Certificate (CDA) required by Head Start and accredited programs within the community to work as an assistant or lead classroom teacher.
  • Another pathway prepares the student as a Director of a small capacity licensed Child Development program (Director’s Certificate).
  • The third pathway prepares the student as an Assistant or Lead Classroom Teacher in public supported programs such as Head Start, Even Start, First Steps, Parents as Teachers program or an accredited, privately-owned program.
  • The third pathway will also prepare the student as a classroom aid to an early childhood/ elementary classroom teacher in the public school system (Applied Science Degree).

Note: Students may also pursue a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development on the MAC campus through Central Methodist College (2+2 program).

Specific information regarding the Associate of Applied Science Degree and the Director’s Certificate can be found on the Career and Technical Education page under Degrees and Certificates.

The Child Development Associate (CDA) plan recommends nine hours of specific child development college courses to prepare the child care provider. A resource notebook, three observations of student working with the appropriate age group, final oral and written tests administered by the Washington, D.C. CDA Council, and parent questionnaires of the child care group will also be required by the CDA Council in order to successfully complete the Federal CDA credentialing process. The Mineral Area College Early Child Development Chairperson will assist the college student in the final preparation and evaluation process.

Criminal Background Check Policy (PDF format)

A criminal backgound check must be completed BEFORE the student can complete any field experiences/practicums.

The Child Development courses at Mineral Area College are guided by the use and implementation of the Creative Curriculum (recognized by NAEYC) as a developmentally appropriate curriculum for ages infancy through preschool. The courses are designed to meet both state licensing and accreditation. Community early care and education programs are utilized for developmentally appropriate field experiences that are required in most of the courses.. 


Contact information:

Patricia Fields

Associate Professor and Department Chair: Early Child Development (Career and Technology Department).

Educational Background:

  • Masters Degree: Working with Children with Special Needs, 1996.University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana
  • Bachelor of Science degree: Family and Consumer Sciences, 1990. Southeast Missori State University (SEMO)

Career Related Experiences

  • Associate professor, advisor, and department chair at the post-secondary level since 2001: Mineral Area College. 
  • Family and Consumer Sciences (grades 7-12)- thirteen years.
  • General Education (GED) teacher
  • Observational Studies of special needs preschool age children: Study on loan at University of Illinois

 

Professional Experiences:

  • State Committees: licensing and accreditation working with state agencies involving child care licensing and accreditation regulations/requirements.
  • Committee work on the College Board of Higher Education as a liaison for the community colleges' early care and education programs. Committee work included the Head Start initiative that mandated two and four year degrees for the lead classroom teachers by the year 2008. The committee’s focus was a means of transitioning two year Associate of Applied Science degrees in Child Development into a four year degree in Child Development. I continue the pursuit of this transition by aligning course work with the National Association of Young Children (NAEYC) and MoStep standards to meet DESE guidelines.
  • Active Member in the National Association of Young Children (NAEYC); MoAEYC, and River's Bend AEYC.
  • Active member in the Missouri Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (MAECTE)  

Phone: (573) 518-2128
E-mail: pfields@MineralArea.edu
Office Hours: Monday through Friday- 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Arts and Science Building : Office 26

Early Child Development Faculty:

Davie Horn

Instructor/CDA advisor

Bachelor of Science in Child Development, 2007

Central Methodist University, Park Hills, Missouri

Associate of Applied Science in Child Development

Mineral Area College, Park Hills, Mo.

Career Related Experiences

Program Director-St. Joesph Catholic Preschool. July of 2008 to present

Farmington, Mo.

Infant/Toddler Lead Teacher at Superior Child Care Center, 2003 to 2008

Bright Horizons, Superior Children's Center

Farmington, Mo.

Interim Field Assistant Director, April to September, 2007

Bright Horizons Vance, Alabama

Karen Irvin

Instructor

Masters and Specialist Degree in Administration

William Woods University

Special Education Degree

Missouri State University

Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education

Central Methodist University

Park Hills, Mo.

Career Related Experiences  

Early Childhood Special Education andLead Classroom Teacher       

WL Johns,

Farmington, Mo.

Developmental Therapist

First Steps

Farnington, Mo.

Jane Moldenhaer

Instructor, Perryville campus

Masters Degree in Early Child Development

Teaching Certification-Early Childhood

Webster College-2007

Bachelor of Science in Child Development

Southeast Mo. State University-1990

Career Related Experiences

Preschool Director/Owner 1992 to present

M & M Kids-Perryville, Mo.

Adjunct teacher for SEMO

Parent Educator- Parents as Teachers, 1991

Perry County District # 32

Jill Steffens

Instructor, Perryville campus

Masters Degree in Early Child Development

Teaching Certification-Early Childhood

Webster College-2007

Bachelor of Science in Child Development

Southeast Mo. State University-1990

Career Related Experiences

Preschool Director/Owner 1992 to present

M & M Kids-Perryville, Mo.

Adjunct teacher for SEMO

Parent Educator- Parents as Teachers, 1991

Perry County District # 32

Wendy Soderlund

Instructor/CDA

Masters of Science Child and Family Development, 1979

Masters in Business Education, 1980

Bachelor of Arts, 1971

Career Related Experiences

Head Start Education and Training Coordinator