Director Training: Child Care Leadership and Management Course
Build the leadership, management, and administrative skills needed to operate a high-quality early childhood program, support educators, partner with families, and lead with purpose.
Prepare to Lead an Early Childhood Program With Confidence
Effective child care leadership requires more than managing daily operations. Directors must guide staff, maintain compliance, manage resources, communicate with families, strengthen program quality, and create an organizational culture where children and educators can thrive.
The Director Training: Child Care Leadership and Management Course provides a comprehensive introduction to the administrative responsibilities of leading an early childhood program.
Participants will examine leadership practices, personnel management, family and community partnerships, legal and ethical responsibilities, financial management, program operations, quality improvement, and professional development.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the course, participants will be able to apply essential leadership and management practices within an early childhood education setting.
Lead With Purpose
Examine leadership styles, professional ethics, organizational culture, and the director’s role in program quality.
Manage Program Operations
Apply effective systems for policies, procedures, records, scheduling, safety, and daily administration.
Support and Supervise Staff
Strengthen recruitment, onboarding, supervision, evaluation, professional development, and staff retention.
Build Family Partnerships
Develop respectful communication practices and meaningful partnerships with families and community stakeholders.
Manage Financial Resources
Explore budgeting, enrollment management, financial planning, resource allocation, and responsible decision-making.
Improve Program Quality
Use reflection, assessment, action planning, and continuous improvement strategies to strengthen outcomes.
Nine Areas of Child Care Administration
The course is organized around essential administrative competencies for early childhood program leaders.
Leadership and Professionalism
Leadership styles, ethics, professional identity, decision-making, vision, mission, and organizational culture.
Program Operations
Administrative systems, policies, procedures, documentation, scheduling, records, and daily program management.
Legal and Regulatory Responsibilities
Compliance, confidentiality, health and safety, mandated responsibilities, risk management, and ethical practice.
Human Resource Management
Recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, supervising, evaluating, developing, and retaining staff.
Family and Community Partnerships
Family engagement, communication, conflict resolution, community partnerships, and culturally responsive practice.
Financial Management
Budgeting, tuition, enrollment, purchasing, financial controls, resource management, and sustainability planning.
Program Planning and Curriculum Leadership
Developmentally appropriate practice, curriculum oversight, classroom support, instructional leadership, and program planning.
Quality Improvement and Program Evaluation
Program assessment, observations, data-informed decisions, goal-setting, action planning, and continuous improvement.
Professional Development and Leadership Growth
Staff development systems, coaching, mentoring, professional learning plans, reflective practice, and leadership growth.
Apply Your Learning to Your Program
Participants complete practical activities and portfolio assignments that connect course content to real early childhood leadership responsibilities.
Leadership Profile
Reflect on your leadership strengths, professional goals, leadership style, and areas for continued growth.
Administrative Tools
Develop or review program policies, staff procedures, communication systems, schedules, and operational resources.
Staff Development Plan
Create strategies for employee orientation, supervision, coaching, evaluation, professional learning, and retention.
Program Improvement Plan
Identify a program need, establish measurable goals, outline action steps, and determine how progress will be evaluated.
A Comprehensive Online Leadership Experience
- Online self-paced lessons
- Downloadable participant workbook
- Nine leadership and administration modules
- Knowledge checks and reflection activities
- Discussion board activities
- Practical administrative templates
- Leadership portfolio assignments
- Final assessment and course evaluation
- Certificate of completion
Course Expectations
Participants must complete all required lessons, activities, discussion assignments, portfolio components, assessments, and the final course evaluation.
Course access, completion deadlines, technology requirements, and certificate instructions will be provided after registration and payment are verified.
Complete Both Enrollment Steps
Georgia participants should register for the course through the Georgia Professional Development System and complete the course payment through PayPal. Enrollment is complete after both steps have been submitted.
Register Through GaPDS
Log in to your GaPDS account and search the scheduled training sessions for:
Director Training: Child Care Leadership and Management Course
Register in GaPDSSubmit the $375 Course Payment
After registering through GaPDS, use the secure PayPal payment page to submit your course fee.
Course Investment: $375.00
Pay Securely With PayPalCourse Information
Who should enroll in this course?
The course is designed for aspiring directors, new directors, assistant directors, owners, education coordinators, program administrators, and early childhood professionals preparing for leadership positions.
Is the course completed online?
Yes. The course is delivered online and includes instructional lessons, assignments, reflection activities, discussion boards, knowledge checks, portfolio activities, and assessments.
How many hours is the course?
The course includes 40 hours of professional development content and required learning activities.
Do I have to complete every module?
Yes. Participants must complete all required modules, assignments, portfolio activities, assessments, and the course evaluation to receive a certificate of completion.
Will I receive a certificate?
Participants who successfully complete all course requirements will receive a certificate of completion from Meliora Leadership Institute.
What happens after I register and pay?
After your GaPDS registration and PayPal payment have been verified, Meliora Leadership Institute will send course access instructions and information about completing the online training.
Prepare to Lead With Knowledge, Purpose, and Confidence
Strengthen your ability to manage people, operations, resources, and program quality while creating a positive environment for educators, children, and families.
Start the Enrollment Process