Child and Youth Care Worker
OFO No: 263508
Other names for Child & Youth Care Worker:
- Child and Youth Counsellor
What is a Child & Youth Care Worker?
A Child & Youth Care Worker’s main job is the protection of young people. Child and Youth Care Workers counsel young children and teenagers who have been subjected to neglect and various forms of abuse (emotional, physical, sexual) and have/or come from dysfunctional families.
They also provide developmental and therapeutic programmes to assist young people in need.
In certain situations, they may also be brought in as a mediator.
What does a Child & Youth Care Worker do?
- meets with young client and families to discuss problems
- interviews and collects information
- analyses this information
- designs programmes to help them reach their goals
- monitors success of programmes
- organises life skill workshops
- keeps in contact with healthcare professionals, teachers, community leaders etc
- provides crisis intervention if required
- provides records for courts / legal proceedings
- sources emergency shelter when required
- keeps in contact with the law and order officials
Are you . . . ?
- passionate about working with children?
- caring?
- dedicated?
- a hard worker?
- emotionally stable?
- a person with a positive attitude?
- a motivator?
- understanding?
- a good communicator?
- a good listener?
How do I become a Child & Youth Care Worker?
You will need a qualification. There are a number of ways to approach this.
PATH 1:
- Study to become a Social Worker
- Collect workplace experience in the field of Child & Youth Care
PATH 2:
- Study to become a Social Worker
- Postgraduate certificate in Social Work
PATH 3:
- Bachelor’s degree with a major in Child & Youth Care
- Collect workplace experience in the field of Child & Youth Care
- Postgraduate qualification in Child & Youth Care Work
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- University of Venda
PATH 4:
- Diploma in Child & Youth Wor
- Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree in Child & Youth Work
- Durban University of Technology (DUT)
- University of the Western Cape (UWC)
- University of SA (UNISA)
PATH 5:
- Qualify in various professions like:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Education
- Criminolgy etc
- Followed by a postgraduate qualification in Child & Youth Work
TRAINING:
- CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
- Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
- To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education. CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions.
OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER: Social Worker or Nanny / Childminder
Is becoming a Child & Youth Care Worker the right career choice for me?
