Career in Child Development

The early stages of child development are essential as it contributes to the overall physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Experiences that a child encounters during this stage have a major impact on their behaviour and habits. A career in child development provides individuals with the opportunity to shape the lives of young children. A career in child development has immense scope in India and abroad. 

Reasons to Pursue a Career in Child Development

A career in child development can be extremely rewarding for individuals who have a natural affinity for young children. Formal education in child development can open up innumerable career opportunities in private and government institutions. 

• Rewarding Career Path: You have the option to work with daycare centres, kindergarten and pre-school, family daycare as well as outside school hours. There is also a chance to work in centre support roles such as operations manager, administration, consultative, and early childhood training.
• Flexible Working Hours: Although jobs in the field of child development have a fixed schedule, there are many that offer flexible working hours. No matter your lifestyle, flexible working hours will help you build a proper work-life balance which has a positive effect on your personal life and commitments. 
• Changing the Future: “Today’s children are tomorrow’s future”. As a trained professional in this field, you will get a chance to shape the lives of young children. You contribute to the development of a solid foundation through which they can build a bright future. 
• Huge Demand: The increasing growth of early childhood education has led to significant demand for specialists and professionals in the field of child development. Parents and educators are seeking individuals who are well-versed in this field and have the necessary skills that can aid in the all-around development of their children. 
• Relationship-Building: A career in child development requires individuals to be very practical and creative in their approach. They need to build meaningful relationships with parents, students, professional educators, and the learning community. 

Also Read: Importance of Education in Child’s Life

Skills Required for a Career in Child Development

Working with children requires individuals to have a unique set of skills. These skills are quite important and help because you will be working with different age groups. 

• Verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Empathy and compassion
• Patience and rapport
• Creativity and passion
• Enthusiasm and dedication
• Decision-making 
• Analytical and problem-solving 
• Behavioural management 
• Leadership 
• Planning 

Eligibility Criteria

Before you begin your pursuit of a career in child development, you need to keep in mind that there are certain qualifications that you need to hold before applying for a job in this field. The minimum eligibility criteria for pursuing a career in child development are :

• Employers typically lookout for individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree in child development or a related field. A bachelor’s degree allows individuals to work at a preschool or elementary level or work with private or government agencies and institutions
• Individuals get more professional opportunities for the attainment of a master’s degree in this field. This allows them to set up their own clinical practice and apply for higher roles in the field of child development
• Individuals who have 2-5 years of experience working with young children are also considered for higher and professional roles
• Individuals can also earn voluntary certification which increases their chances of employability. The most well-known certification is the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential which is often a requirement for working with children under the age of 5

Also Read: Early Childhood Education

Popular Courses

Are you looking to build a career in child development but not sure which course will help you take one step forward? There are many courses available in India and abroad offered by top-ranked universities but do you know which course is right for you? Our AI Course Finder will match you with the right course, saving hours of research. 

Bachelor’s Courses

1. BA in Child Development
2. BSc in Child Development
3. BSc in Developmental Counseling
4. BSc in Child, Adult, and Family Services
5. BSc in Human Development & Family Studies: Child & Adolescent Development
6. BSc in Early Childhood Education
7. BEd in Special Education
8. BA in Child and Adolescent Psychology

Master’s Courses

1. MA in Child Development
2. MA in Child and Adolescent Psychology
3. MSc in Child Development
4. MSc in Developmental Psychology
5. MSc in Early Childhood Education
6. MEd in Early Childhood Education

Top Universities Abroad for Careers in Child Development

Wondering how you can apply to these universities? Leverage Edu will provide end-to-end assistance from application to the Visa process. Call us at 1800 57 2000 and start your study abroad journey. 

Name of the University	Location
University College London (UCL)	UK
Harvard University	USA
Stanford University	USA
The University of Melbourne	Australia
The University of Cambridge	UK
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)	Singapore
Monash University	Australia
The University of Auckland	New Zealand
Vanderbilt University	USA
Columbia University	USA
University of Toronto	Canada
University of Amsterdam	Netherlands

Top Colleges in India

There are also a number of colleges across all cities in India that will provide all courses you need to study for a career in child development. Check out the list of top colleges you should consider:

Name of the College	Location
St. Teresa’s College	Kerala
Tata Institute of Social Studies	Mumbai
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI)	Delhi
University of Delhi	Delhi
Bharathiar University	Coimbatore
SNDT Women’s University	Mumbai
Osmania University	Hyderabad

Job Profiles & Salary

One of the top reasons why many people opt for a career in child development is the feeling of satisfaction and personal reward that it brings. Professionals in this field have the immense pleasure of discovering the budding potential of young children and inspiring them to be the best version of themselves. 

Job Roles	Salary (p.a)
Child Life Specialist	Rs. 6,02,916
Preschool and Childcare Centre Director	Rs. 9,75,000
Parent Educator	Rs. 2,31,492
Social Worker	Rs.4,89,796
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teacher	Rs.2,50,252
Special Education Paraprofessional	Rs.2,68,500
Early Childhood Education Consultant	Rs.3,48,171
Early Childhood Education Regulator	Rs.4,47,259
Child Psychiatrist	Rs.19,18,712
Child Psychologist	Rs.10,20,976
Intervention Specialist	Rs. 1,000,000

FAQs

Are you interested in building a career in child development but not sure where to start from? Our experts and Counsellors at Leverage Edu will help you with the end-to-end process from application to Visa. Call us at 1800 57 2000 for a FREE 30-minute counselling session.