Develop prevention, intervention and treatment strategies to facilitate a positive change in children, youth and their families who experience a range of social, emotional and behavioural challenges.
Program Highlights
Three different practical field placement experiences are offered throughout the program totalling over 1000 hours of hands-on experience upon
The Child and Youth Care program has a high employment rate for those in both full-time and part-time studies
What you'll learn
Specialize in supporting change with children and youth ages of approximately 6 to 18 experiencing a range of social, emotional, mental health and behavioural challenges and their families
Implement a range of prevention and intervention strategies for children, youth and their families. This will focus on trauma informed practice, crisis intervention, conflict management, problem-solving, life space interviews, therapeutic activity programming, life and social skill development and group work
How to engage with children and youth experiencing difficult home situations, mental health challenges, substance abuse, behavioural problems and conflicts with the law
Learn equitable and inclusive approaches to advocate for the rights of children and youth
Program Length
3 academic years (periods of 8 months)
Your future career options
Child and Youth Workers
Child and Youth Counsellors
Youth Support Workers
Child and Youth Practitioners
Where you could work includes:
Group Homes, Schools and Residential Facilities
Mental Health Centres
Education Services
Child Welfare Services
Youth Criminal Justice Services
Community Intervention Services
Opportunities for grads
Become a member of the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care (O.A.C.Y.C.).
Educational Pathways
Pathways to Mohawk
If you've successfully taken a course at another post-secondary institution, you may be able to earn course exemptions toward your credential here at Mohawk.
Pathways within Mohawk
If you have successfully completed one of the following programs at Mohawk, you may be eligible to receive transfer credit in this program.
Child and Youth Worker (Apprenticeship)
General Arts and Science Certificate (College Transfer)
Human Services Foundation
Early Childhood Education
Educational Support
General Arts and Science (University Transfer)
Recreation Therapy
We offer a diverse range of programs to further your studies within Mohawk following completion of this program.
Early Childhood Education (Intensive)
Social Service Worker (Intensive)
Educational Support (Intensive)
Autism & Behavioural Science
Brain Disorders Management
Community and Social Services Management
Concurrent Disorders
Mental Health & Disability Management
Psychosocial Rehabilitation
Pathways beyond Mohawk
Earn a degree:
Athabasca University - Bachelor of Professional Arts in Human Services
Brock University - Bachelor of Arts - Child & Youth Studies
Davenport University - Bachelor of Business Administration
Griffith University - Bachelor of Child, Youth and Family Practice or Bachelor of Human Services
Metropolitan University of Toronto (formerly Ryerson University) - Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution
Expected January 2026
Mohawk College
Fennell Campus (FF),
135 Fennell Avenue West,
Hamilton,
Ontario (ON),
L9C 0E5, Canada
OSSD or equivalent (Mohawk Academic Upgrading, GED) including:
Grade 12 English, C or U or equivalent
Attendance at program orientation is strongly recommended
For competitive programs (the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available places), selection will be based on the average of the highest senior level final grades in the required courses that are available at the time of ranking
Applicants should note that some employment opportunities require that certain physical standards must be met as a condition of employment
Options are available for mature applicants
English Language Requirements
See below for accepted equivalents for Grade 12 English:
Successful completion of the GAS-English for Academic Purposes (478 or 278) program
TOEFL minimum score of 560 (83 Internet based) or IELTS Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall with no band less than 6.0.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
Mohawk College is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and offers a quality learning experience across four campuses and innovative facilities.