Female student squats down with a notebook in front of a low shelf of children's toys.

Early Care, Education, and Family Studies

Welcome to Taft College and the Early Care, Education, and Family Studies (ECEFS) Department. 

Taft College is a small, personable college which offers an intimate and supportive environment for learning. The ECEFS Program offers certificates in Early Childhood Education, Early Intervention (special needs), Family Child Care, Assistant and Associate Teacher, and several specialization certificates that satisfy the specialization requirement for the Master Teacher Permit. Early Childhood Education is beneficial to anyone who has children in their lives: parents, teachers (elementary and early childhood education), social workers, law enforcement, special educators, foster parents, and grandparents.

Taft College’s Early Childhood Program is unique in that it provides students with a lab school. It offers courses in Infant Massage and Reading Infant Cues, and various other unique courses taught by experts in the field. The Community of Taft is very supportive of Taft College, and students often get to visit with other professionals in the field during quad activities, fundraisers, and workshops. Students have many valuable opportunities to work with children from birth to 14 years in daycare settings, school settings, and specialized home visits. They are provided the opportunity to visit other child care facilities throughout Kern County, as well as learn about other resources valuable to parents and professionals. Come and join other Early Childhood Education students on their journey to discovering themselves and reaching their professional goals.

Certificates

If you are interested in a degree program, please see the Associate Degree in Early Care, Education, and Family Studies, or the Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education for Transfer, please visit the Social and Behavioral Science Academic Division pages for requirements, as well as different career options and earnings potential.

Earnings Potential

At Taft College, students who study Early Care, Education, and Family Studies can work in a variety of careers, with job growth projected at 5% to 7% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2023. Some careers in this field may require additional education.

Possible career types/employment opportunities 

Median Hourly Rate 

Median Annual Wage

Instructional Coordinators - Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, implement it, and assess its effectiveness.

$30.64

$63,740

Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School (except Special Education) - Teacher assistants work with a licensed teacher to give students additional attention and instruction.

N/A

$29,360

Childcare Workers, Nannies - Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development.

$13.22

$27,490

Source: “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 Sept. 2022. www.bls.gov/ooh. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Contact Us

Taft College Switchboard
661-763-7700

Kristi Richards — Career Transitions Facilitator-Counselor
661-763-7813

Joe'll Chaidez — Career Technical Education Counselor
661-763-7962

Email: [email protected]