Child Care Apprenticeship Application

The Child Care Apprenticeship is an 18-month program. By submitting this application, you are agreeing to complete all required training over this 18-month period. All training will consist of asynchronous online classes except for CPR, first aid, and medication administration. CPR, first aid, and medication administration will be held in person at Harford Community College on Saturdays. If you have already completed a required training from another provider, you may be eligible for credit for that specific training. For credit for previous training, submit your unexpired certificate to the Apprenticeship Coordinator at least 30 days prior to the scheduled start date of the training.

Apprentices must maintain full-time employment with a participating early childhood program in Maryland throughout the 18-month apprenticeship. Apprentices must complete 1,000 work hours for every six months of the apprenticeship. Prior work experience may be submitted to assist in meeting that requirement. Documentation of prior work experience in a Maryland licensed childcare program should be submitted within 60 days of admission to the apprenticeship program. Apprentices whose employment is terminated for any reason should immediately contact the Apprenticeship Coordinator. Apprentices whose employment was terminated but who continue to be eligible for employment in childcare will be aided with obtaining employment from another participating employer.

Within the first four months of the apprenticeship, apprentices must apply to Maryland's Child Care Credentialing program. Apprentices are expected to keep their credentials current throughout the apprenticeship.

Minimum criteria for admission to the childcare apprenticeship include:

• Maryland resident
• age 18 or older (17-year-olds may be considered if they will turn 18 prior to the end of the apprenticeship)
• high school diploma or GED®
• ability to pass a fingerprint based criminal background check and child protective services background check
• reliable transportation
• ability to be cleared to work with children through a medical evaluation

There are a limited number of slots in each apprenticeship cohort. Meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission; the most highly qualified applicants will be accepted into each cohort.

Complete this application and submit it electronically, along with the required supporting documentation. If you experience technical difficulties with the submission process, contact the Apprenticeship Coordinator for assistance.

Applications for the cohort starting in July 2024 are being accepted until May 15, 2024. Applications received after this date may be accepted if space allows or may be retained for consideration for a future cohort. Applicants accepted into the apprenticeship must go through the hiring process with a participating employer including the completion of a fingerprint-based background check, child protective services check and submission of a medical evaluation. Apprentices are expected to begin full-time employment no later than the start of the apprenticeship. Apprentices are expected to schedule interviews and complete the hiring process in accordance with this timeline.

All selected apprentices will have to sign an apprenticeship agreement further detailing the rights and responsibilities of apprentices.

Contact the Apprenticeship Coordinator with questions about the apprenticeship or the application process.

Definitions of Race

• White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa
• Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa
• Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam
• American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America, including Central America, and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands

Harford Community College does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex/gender. Harford Community College also prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internally or externally. Reports of misconduct, questions regarding Title IX, and concerns about noncompliance should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator. For a complete copy of the policy or for more information, please contact the Title IX Coordinator at Harford Community College using the contact information provided in this link (www.harford.edu/titleix.) or the Assistant Secretary of Education within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) by emailing OCR@ed.gov.

The College reserves the right to award all degrees or certificates earned.

Harford Community College actively encourages the enrollment of all interested students, and supports the employment of all qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristics protected by law or policies and practices of Harford Community College. All applicants are accepted, although certain restrictions exist for applicants who are concurrently enrolled in high school, under 16 years old, are not U.S. citizens, or are deemed incapable of exhibiting and practicing professional student behavior. The College prohibits the enrollment of individuals listed on the National or Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Sex Offender Registry or with the Harford County Child Advocacy Unit. Individuals with disabilities who request academic accommodations for courses must register with Disability Support Services and must provide a copy of current documentation of the disability. A minimum notice of four weeks may be needed to provide some accommodations. Appointments can be made, and questions answered by calling Disability Support Services, 443.412.2402 or 443.412.2414.

Administrators, faculty, and staff of Harford Community College are committed to fully implementing enrollment as required by specific Acts of Congress and by federal and state regulations. Inquiries regarding compliance may be directed to the Office of Human Resources.