hi, i have recieved information on the early childhood education program and it sounds almost too good to be true. i'm just wondering how good of a program it is
I don't know anyone who has taken Ashworth's Early Childhood Education program, but can answer some questions you may have or at least point you in the right direction to get questions answered. First, the good news. I looked at their website's program outline. It looks like a decent program, it's certainly inexpensive, and it leads to an associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. Also, Ashworth is accredited by DETC (Distance Education Training Council), an accreditor which is recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education. Now the bad news. An associate's degree in Early Childhood Education will qualify you to be a child care worker in daycare or a private preschool, or possibly to run your own daycare service from your home depending on your state's licensing requirements. This may not be a problem in itself, but don't expect to be able to make much money at all doing any of those things. All parents who need daycare for their children want quality daycare of course, but the sad truth is most don't want to pay very much at all for it. So the salaries for child care workers are among the lowest salaries. If making a decent living is not a concern, for example if you have other means of support, then it may be fine. Otherwise, it may be a problem. Here's a link to the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Outlook Handbook that includes training requirements and earnings expectations for "Childcare workers": http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos170.htm The other bad news is that although Ashworth is accredited by DETC, a DETC associate's degree is not enough to teach in a public school. A DETC degree would probably be fine for a daycare worker or private preschool, but if you wanted to be a public preschool or kindergarten teacher the minimum you would need would be a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college. Ashworth is nationally accredited (DETC) but has no regional accreditation which is a step above national accreditation. To check the requirements for public preschool teachers or kindergarten teachers check this link from the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Teachers - Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm You should also check the laws in your own state that govern child care workers and preschool teachers to see if the Ashworth program would qualify you for any needed license. Hope this helps, Kit