Early Childhood Education Resource Consultant
Overview
Build expertise in inclusive early childhood practices and support children with exceptionalities and their families.
The Early Childhood Education Resource Consulting graduate certificate prepares you to work as a resource consultant in early learning and community settings. Through flexible online learning and two field placements, you’ll gain practical experience supporting inclusive environments and individualized programming.
You’ll learn about developmental assessment, case management, family-centred planning, service coordination, referral processes and consultation strategies. You’ll also explore child development across cognitive, physical, social, emotional and communication areas and learn how to use this knowledge to support each child’s development and participation.
The program also prepares you to collaborate with families, educators and other professionals to support children through different stages and transitions.
After graduation, you’ll be prepared for resource consulting roles in childcare centres, home-based agencies, early intervention services, family support programs and other early years settings. You can also continue your education in areas such as special education and social services.
Admission Requirements
- University degree, college diploma, or advanced diploma or equivalent
Mature Student Assessment for this program is available in the subject of English for the purpose of demonstrating proficiency in this required admission subject. For all other admission requirements, applicants must complete the required course(s) as listed above. For more information, please contact counselling@lambtoncollege.ca. Review the Mature Student Admission process.
Academic admission requirements can be obtained through Academic Upgrading and the Pre-Programs at Lambton College.
Costs
- Year 1 $4,465.46
Please note: These fees apply to the 2026-2027 academic year and are subject to change. Fees do not include books (unless specifically noted), supplies or living costs.
Technology Requirements
In order to keep pace with the requirements of each and every course in your program, Lambton College requires that each student have access to a laptop while studying at our college.
Labs & Equipment
EarlyON Centre
The EarlyON Centre is located right on campus and is a great place for students to practice skills learned in the ECE program. Many students complete placement hours at this facility.
Parent & Professional Resource Centre
This centre is also located right on campus and students can access free resources to help develop activities and learning tools to use within the program or while on placement.
Courses
Foundations of Resource Consulting
This course introduces students to early learning pedagogy and play-based strategies as the cornerstones of supporting children with special needs. Through a lens of curriculum principles that guide inclusive early learning programs, students will examine and analyze developmental characteristics of children in order to recommend program adaptations and modifications that build on children's strengths. In addition, students will utilize observation skills and screening tools in order to recommend centre policies and practices that promote meaningful and maximum early learning program participation.
Adapting and Modifying Curriculum Practices
Students are introduced to the Family Service Plan as the consultation platform that integrates perspectives from families, early learning educators, health professionals and community services providers in order to adapt and modify curriculum practices. Students examine early learning environments and create a plan that recommends strategies, adaptations and modifications that promote the benefits of inclusive learning for children with special needs. In addition, students develop a proposal of how they plan to communicate this information to the full Family Service Team. This course highlights the importance of working in consultation with the whole team in order to support children.
Intercultural Communications
Students taking this course will learn the definition of culture and will be introduced to inter-cultural communication theories such as differences in gestures, personal spaces, and customs. By identifying intercultural issues in North American society, student will learn how they can apply intercultural communication theories to their daily lives and how they can respect and understand persons from other cultures. The main objective of this course is to create an environment in which students will feel comfortable communicating with people from different cultures and backgrounds. As part of the course, students will communicate with people from other cultures electronically. This course will be of interest to workers in health services, education, human resources, and business as well as those people who want to enhance their communication skills particularly as they apply to communicating with people from other cultures.
Introduction to Resource Consulting: Field Placement I
Communication and Advocacy
Working with Others Through Professional Engagement
This course examines how research, current legislation, regulations, and ethical and professional standards impact evidence informed practices of resource consultants. Students assess a variety of observation and screening tools, family engagement models and learning strategies in order to understand child development and advise families and early learning educators. They utilize and reflect on professional knowledge and plan further learning related to teaching and inclusive practices.
Empowering Families Through Strength-Based Approaches
Evidence-Informed Decision-Making
This course examines how research, current legislation, regulations, and ethical and professional standards impact evidence informed practices of resource consultants. Students assess a variety of observation and screening tools, family engagement models and learning strategies in order to understand child development and advise families and early learning educators. They utilize and reflect on professional knowledge and plan further learning related to teaching and inclusive practices.
Field Placement II
Contact
School of Fire Science, Health & Community Services
Program Information
After Graduation
Employment Opportunities
Graduates are prepared for roles as resource consultants in childcare centres, home-based agencies, early intervention services, family support programs, and other early years settings. The program also supports pathways to further education in fields such as special education and social services.
Career positions may include, but are not limited to:
- educational assistant
- educational resources assistant
- special education assistant
- resource consultant
- inclusion support specialist
- early intervention specialist
- family support worker
Placement
- You’ll complete a placement as part of this program, giving you the chance to apply what you learn in a real-world setting. This hands-on experience helps you build practical skills, explore your career interests, and gain experience valued by employers.
Placement Requirements
All placements have requirements that must be completed before you begin. These typically include a Police Record Check with Vulnerable Sector and proof of immunizations.
More Information
Technology Requirements
It is recommended that you use a Windows laptop for your coursework. While other devices like MacBooks or Chromebooks might work for some tasks, they may not support all the software required for your program. If you're unsure, check with your professors before buying.
Internet Speed Requirements
To get the best experience while learning online, we recommend having an internet connection with at least 40 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed. This will help you use video calls, attend online lectures, and access other learning tools smoothly.
Because students live in many different areas, we can't suggest a specific internet provider. You'll need to check with local companies to find one that works best for you.
Laptop Requirements
In order to access the internet and virtually-delivered software and courseware, student laptops should include the following at a minimum. By meeting the following specifications, students will be equipped to access software and courseware on their laptop through the internet:
- Intel i5 8th Gen Processor or equivalent
- 8GB of RAM
- 100 GB HDD or more
- Webcam with a microphone
- Wi-Fi capable (802.11n/ac 5GHz)
- Windows 11 operating system
Mobile Device
Students will require a mobile device (smartphone) for:
- Accessing your digital student ID
- Using campus applications and services
Software
To ensure students are getting the most our of their classroom experience, some software will be required.
Lambton College has made this software easily accessible online. Students can leverage our Microsoft Office 365 software packages and services. In addition, much of the software you require for your courses will be available on demand for use on any device - on or off campus.