Course Syllabus
Course: HFST 1600
Division: Social and Behavioral Science
Department: Education and Family Studies
Title: Child Care As A Business
Semester Approved: Spring 2023
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2027
End Semester: Fall 2028
Catalog Description: This course surveys the many challenges and rewards of owning and managing a childcare facility. The course specifically addresses trends in childcare, setting up a childcare business, legal issues, and staffing. This course demonstrates how managers of childcare programs must understand the value of family diversity, culture, as well as the relationships between family, program, and community. This course is a critical class to assist potential childcare providers in starting and/or administrating successful child care businesses.
Semesters Offered: Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 2; Lecture: 2; Lab: 0
Justification: HFST 1600 is a required course in the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Child Care Management. Similar courses in content and purpose are taught at other colleges and universities. HFST 1600 transfers as an elective to other Utah Universities.
Student Learning Outcomes:
A vital component of this class is to learn the organization of a written prototype day care facility. This will allow them to model a daycare that they will utilize when they begin their own business. This outcome will be assessed through the written component of the class because it requires extensive planning that only a detailed written assignment can provide.
Include a hob description that includes key employee expectations, demands, and skills of the day care manager and the day care's employees. The instructor will evaluate this outcome through both the portfolio and written assignments. Both are required because the written assignment is one of the key components in constructing the portfolio.
Create an annual budget that includes expected annual revenue, expected annual expenses and categories assigned to these budgeting areas. This assignment will be evaluated on the grounds of the portfolio. There will be some written pre-assignments, but the majority of the assessment will be the final inclusion in the portfolio.
Identify management strengths, management weakness, and strategic methods for strengthening management skills The evaluation of this outcome will be assessed based on a short paper that will also be included in the portfolio.
General knowledge of management in the early childhood field is vital for the successful completion of this course. Students that plan on running a daycare should be able to understand and accommodate for all types of children and their required needs. Management of young children requires this outcome to be measured through a series of quizzes and online tests. These tests and quizzes will highlight a student's knowledge of management styles based on structured learning and various other outcomes.
Content:
This course develops an understanding and ability to care for students of diverse backgrounds. Diverse issues include different management styles that work for different students. Scaffolding and structured learning are vital both in the education of this course and for the development of children that attend students' daycare. Below is a list of the topics that will be utilized in this course to prepare students for the diverse care that is required to run a successful daycare.This course will include practice and/or study of the following child care related topics:• Managing Children’s Centers in the 21st Century• Types of Child Development Programs• Applying Theories in Managing a Child Development Center• Reflective Management: Personal and Professional Self-Awareness• Organizational Management• Fiscal Management• Personnel Management• Human Relations• Facilities Management• Managing Health and Safety Issues• Managing Food Service• Educational Programming• Family Engagement• Marketing and Public Relations• Assessment and Evaluation
Key Performance Indicators:
Portfolio & Quizzes 35 to 50%
Attendance & Discussion 15 to 30%
Written Assignments 30 to 45%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Hearron, Patricia F. and Verna Hildebrand. Management of Child Development Centers. Boston: Pearson. (current edition)
Pedagogy Statement:
The pedagogy for this course is focused on the idea that all students have the potential to learn and succeed. The course aims to create an online learning environment by using a variety of best teaching practices that include but are not limited to video lecture, discussion, and collaboration.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Online
Maximum Class Size: 24
Optimum Class Size: 18
