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The CYCAA has a rich and colorful history, characterized by progressive
movement towards certification and the professionalization of Child and Youth
Care. Past members and advocates of the CYCAA are today considered the mentors
and "grandfathers" of the field. The story of their groundbreaking
work for the development of the Association provides a picture of dedication and
continuing commitment to child care.
April 5th, 1970 saw the then titled Child Care Workers Association of Alberta
hold its first meeting: five people from Dominic Savio and Hull Home in Calgary
were in attendance. A month later there was a "get to know each other"
social of 31 people at the Don Bosco House cabin which was followed on May 19th,
1971 by an organizational meeting and the first Executive was selected.
Over the next ten years, the CCWAA continued to expand, develop, and fulfill
their goals. By 1980, the membership had grown to 260 members with a broad
Albertan representation from areas such as Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, High
Prairie, and Lac La Biche.
Over the next 15 years, the CCWAA (now CYCAA) promoted, expanded, and
established the early goals of standardization, certification, and
professionalization of child care.
The Child Care Certification program is reputedly the most advanced of its
kind in North America and this highly developed program is worthy of a history
all to itself. In the mid-1970's, some 700 Child and Youth Care Workers were
providing care to emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children in Alberta.
Educational facilities were able to provide only a fraction of the trained
workers required to fill these positions. As a result, the Department of Social
Services and Community Health (now Alberta Family and Social Services) struck a
curriculum committee to identify competencies. This process took almost two
years to develop and in July 1979, the first Child Care Worker was certified in
Alberta.
Over time, interest grew in the private sector and in 1983 the Alberta
Association of Child Care Centers (now Alberta Association of Services for
Children and Families) made a proposal to the Department, requesting that the
management of the program be turned over to the representation of the CYCAA and that certification be made available to
all Child Care Workers in Alberta.
A Tripartite Agreement was signed in 1985 which allowed access for all Child
Care Workers to the certification process under the management of the steering
committee. The first Child Care Worker from the private sector was certified in
October of 1985, and apparently became the first Supervisor to go through the
process. In 1990, agreement was reached to move management of the program to the
CYCAA through an arms-length board.
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