ECED 2363 Administration in Child Care Settings Syllabus 010 Fall 2026

Credit Hours 3.00 Lecture Hours 3 Clinical/Lab Hours 0
Type of Credit
CIP Code
19.0708
Course Meeting Time

Independent Study online

Course Description

This course is designed for early childhood professionals with a focus on administration in early childhood settings. Program planning, policy formation, personnel selection, training and supervision, facilities management and budgeting, state licensing standards, and interpersonal skills are examined. Included are analysis of current trends, community resources, and program evaluation. The course requires 15 hours of observation/shadowing an early childhood administrator. This course is part of the Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Director Credential.

General Education Outcomes

General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:

  1. Communication
  2. Critical Thinking
  3. Responsibility
Explanation of Course Alignment

Relationship to academic programs and transferability

ECED 2363 was designed to meet specific student needs either individually or within a program and is designed to transfer to other colleges and universities. KCC participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide transfer agreement for general education courses. All colleges and universities participating in the IAI agree to accept a collective “package” of IAI general education courses; transfer of courses separately is not guaranteed. For more information about IAI, go to their website at and IAI. For the transferability of courses to specific four-year institutions, go to U.Select Illinois at

Course Objectives: Upon completion on the course, the student will be able to:

1) Demonstrate knowledge of child development principles in the administration of programs.

2) Demonstrate knowledge of licensing regulations and guidelines

3) Integrate the philosophy of the child care setting into the management of the program and child care advocacy.

4) Demonstrate basic knowledge of human resource management, fiscal planning, and community resources.

Faculty Contact Information

Faculty Name
Christina Nojd
Faculty Email
Faculty Student Support Hours

By Appointment

Course Information

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of child development principles in the administration of programs.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of licensing regulations and guidelines
  3. Integrate the philosophy of the child care setting into the management of the program and child care advocacy.
  4. Demonstrate basic knowledge of human resource management, fiscal planning, and community resources.
Topical Outline
  1. The effective director
  2. Assessing community need and establishing a program
  3. Licensing and certification
  4. Organizing center structure and working with a board
  5. Handling financial matters/funding the program
  6. Developing a center facility
  7. Marketing the program
  8. Equipping the center
  9. Staffing the center
  10. Recruiting children
  11. Supporting quality curriculum
  12. Managing the food/health/safety
  13. Working with families, volunteers, and the community
  14. Providing the personal and professional staff development
Textbook/s and Course Materials

Developing & Administering a Child Care Center, Sciarra, D.J. & Dorsey, A. G., New York: Delmar Publishers, 2022.

Methods of Evaluation

Evaluations

Students will be evaluated using a variety of assessment methods including online discussion, development of business plan and projects, participation, attendance, and exams.

Discussions 70points
Chapter Questions 90points
Personal Inventory 10points
Communication Style 10points
Organizational Climate 10points
Mission Statement. 25points
Needs Assessment 25points
Budget for Childcare 30points
Illinois 407 Assignment 20points
Human Resource Assessment 30points
Safety, Nutrition, Emergency 15points
Managing Educator Stress 20points
Pyramid Model 10points
Parent Handbook. 30points
Professional Development. 20points
Practical Leadership 20points
Marketing Plan. 30points
Final Business Plan. 200points
Total 665 points

Program Grading Scale

A 100-90%

B 89-80% 

C 79-70 %

D 69-60 %

F 59-0 %

Academic Division

Business, Technology & Human Services

Dean, Paul Carlson; 815-802-8858; V105; pcarlson@kcc.edu; Division Office – W102; 815-802-8650

Course Policies

Attendance/Participation

Students are expected to check in to the learning management system (LMS) -CANVAS regularly. All lectures, video lectures, learning videos, and assignments will be posted on the LMS. If for any reason a student is unable to complete their work due to illness or other circumstances, please contact the instructor prior to the due date.

Late Assignments. All assignments must be submitted by the posted due date and time. Assignments will close on the due date. Late work is not accepted unless a student has received prior approval to use a Bonus Late Pass.

Each student is granted three (3) Bonus Late Passes for the semester. A Bonus Late Pass allows a student to submit an assignment up to one week past the original due date without grade penalty. To use a Bonus Late Pass, the student must request via email and receive approval before the assignment’s due date. Requests submitted after the due date will not be approved. Bonus Late Passes cannot be used retroactively.

Bonus Late Passes may not be used for the Resource Fair assignment. This assignment must be completed and submitted on time to receive credit.

All late work must still be submitted to the instructor making the assignment in order to meet course objectives. Students will not receive a grade for the course until all course assignments have been submitted.

Child Development Program Requirements. Basic laboratory experience is required or optional in many child development courses within the program. Specific tasks performed in the lab setting will vary according to skills, interests and course requirements. Prior to initiating lab assignments and projects Child Development Students must meet requirements for staff in child care facilities as outlined by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services Child Care Facility Regulations: (1) High School diploma or its equivalent; (2) Must be able to pass DCFS Criminal Background Check; (3) a completed health form; and (4) a signed mandated reporter form. It is a student’s responsibility to make sure all requirements are current and on file with the program coordinator.

Cheating: Cheating can take many forms in a classroom: copying or using another student’s work, using your own work from another class without my prior permission (i.e., not writing original work for this class), adjusting format to make papers appear longer, working in groups on individual assignments (whether openly or in secret), sharing or stealing answers for tests or assignments, etc. No form of cheating is acceptable. Cheating on an assignment will be taken seriously and discipline action will follow.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined in section 17.6.B of the KCC Code of Conduct: “Taking, reproducing, and/or using as one’s own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, paraphrases, data, reports, graphic designs, or computer codes of published or unpublished work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course.”

Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

  • submitting someone else’s paper
  • using published material, including materials published online, without proper attribution/citation
  • paraphrasing or quoting someone without attributing the quote in your paper (that is, without providing an in-text citation) even if the source is included on the works cited page
  • working with someone (without my permission) to write your paper & submitting it as your own
  • Using AI

When in doubt, add the citation. You are expected to cite all sources of information. If you are in doubt, inquire with the faculty teaching the course or utilize KCC tutoring. In your ECED courses, you are expected to follow APA citation guidelines and formatting. 

If a student utilizes AI in their assignment, they must include an acknowledgment specifying how AI was used. The use of AI should not make up more than 25% of the total assignment.

Student Found to be in Violation of KCC Academic Honesty Policy: Students found to be in violations of KCC’s academic honesty policy will result in disciplinary action.

  • The first instance of academic dishonesty or plagiarism the student will be given a zero, required to meet with the professor, given resources for the student success center, and allowed to redo the assignment after meeting with the professor. A verbal warning from Academic Affairs may go on the student’s recorder if the severity of the academic dishonesty warrants it.
  • A second incident of academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the assignment with no opportunity to redo the assignment. The student will be required to meet with the professor to continue in the course. A verbal or written warning will be reported to Academic Affairs.
  • Additional incidences of academic dishonesty or failure to meet with the professor will result in course failure with no opportunity for the student to withdraw. The student will be reported to Academic Affairs and the incident of Academic Dishonesty will appear on the students record. Student found to be consistently violating the student code of conduct could potentially be suspended from the institution.

 

Email Policy

To ensure a student's privacy under all applicable education laws and to facilitate timely interactions, two College-authorized methods of electronic communication exist: KCC-issued student email accounts (using the domain name of .student.kcc.edu) and the Canvas Learning Management System. Students are expected to regularly check their KCC email accounts and Canvas for important incoming communication from the college or from individual instructors. Students understand that emails they send from personal email accounts (other than those listed above) may not be delivered to the KCC recipient, and students should have no expectation that such messages will be answered.

 

Non-Attendance/Non-Participation

KCC complies with state law and federal financial aid policy. If you receive an attendance grade of F or are institutionally withdrawn from a course, it will affect your eligibility for financial aid. (1) You must attend at least one class, or participate at least once for an online course (logging in without participation is not attending), by the 10th day of 16 week courses or within the first 10% of shorter term classes. Non-attendance will result in an attendance grade of F. (2) If you have excessive absences and no reasonable chance of passing the course at midterm (or after), your instructor may give you a WX grade and have you institutionally withdrawn from the course.

Course Calendar

EDEC 2363 - Administration in Early Child Care Settings

DateTopicsAssignments Due

Week 1

Introductory Activities

Syllabus review

Assignment introduction

Chapter 1-The Effective Director

Do’s & Don’ts

Philosophy/ Organizational Climate

Read Chapter 1

Introduction Discussion 8/19

Personal inventory 8/24

Communication Styles 8/24

Organizational Climate Assignment 8/24

Conflict Resolution Scenario 8/24

Week

2

Chapter 2 Assessing the Community Needs

Read Chapter 2

Review Birth to Five Needs Assessment

Birth to Five Needs Assessment Discussion 9/2

Chapter 2 Questions 9/2

Mission Statement 9/2

Week

3

Chapter 3 Licensing, Credential and Accreditation

Read Chapter 3

Illinois 407 Licensing Standards Assignment 9/7

Needs Assessment Assignment 9/7

Week

4

Chapter 4 Organizing Center Structure and Working with a Board

Read Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Questions 9/14

New Childcare Center Discussion 9/14

Week

5

Chapter 5 Handling Financial Matters

Read Chapter 5

Budget for Childcare center 9/21

Week

6

Chapter 6 Developing a Program

Chapter 7 Equipping the Program

Read Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Question 9/28

Read Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Question 9/28

Supply Donation Discussion 9/28

Week 7

Chapter 8- Staffing the Center

Read Chapter 8

Recruitment Discussion 10/5

Human Resources Development Assessment 10/5

Week

8

Chapter 9- Recruiting Children

Chapter 10 Supporting Quality Curriculum

Read Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Questions 10/12

Read Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Questions 10/12

Week

9

Chapter 11

Managing the Food and the Health and Safety Programs

Read Chapter 11

Safety, Nutrition and Emergency Preparedness in Early Childhood programs 10/19

Legal issues Discussion 10/19

Week

10

Chapter 12

Leading in Times of Change and Crisis

Read Chapter 12

Mindful Practice 10/26

Managing Educator Stress 10/26

Pyramid Model 10/26

Week

11

Chapter 13

Working with Families, Volunteers, and the Community

Read Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Questions 11/2

Parent Handbook Discussion 11/2

Week 12

Chapter 14 Providing for Personal and Professional Staff Development

Read Chapter 14

Professional Development 11/9

Professional Development Discussion 11/9

Week

13

Chapter 15

Evaluating Center Components

Read Chapter 15

Practical Leadership Strategies for Directors 11/16

Program Evaluation Discussion 11/16

Week

14

Chapter 16- Marketing the Program

Read Chapter 16

Marketing Plan 11/23

Week

15

Final Business PlanThe last two weeks will be spent working on your final business plan.

Week

16

Final Business Plan

Final Business Plan 12/7

 

Syllabus disclaimer

Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.

College Policies, Resources and Supports

College Policies

For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide. 

Resources

KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:

  • Clubs and organizations
  • Counseling and referral services
  • Office of disability services
  • Student complaint policy
  • Transfer services
  • Tutoring services, etc.