Information for Parents
Information for New
Students
Information for Centers
("Caregivers") is a unique and innovative vocational training program. For over 20 years, the Caregivers program has helped hundreds of refugee and immigrant women become self-sufficient through employment in the field of childcare. Our students are eager to learn and have decided to become childcare professionals; they take their work seriously and enjoy children. We work closely with instructors, childcare providers, and all others involved in training our students to ensure quality training,
consistency, and professionalism. Our training takes place in a multicultural setting, stressing effective communication in English and awareness of cultural differences, as well as orientation to the U.S. work culture. Students are required to have a conversational level of English in order to participate in our program. All of the instruction is imparted in English.
Training & Experience
Our training program lasts 4-12 months and consists of the following:
• Early Childhood Education (ECE) Classes
(instruction and units provided by Merritt College)
• Vocational English as a Second Language
(instruction provided by Oakland Unified School District)
• Health and Safety Training
• CPR/First Aid certification
• Internship at a Childcare Center
• Personal & Career Development Workshops
• Job Placement and Follow-up Services
For 18 years, Caregivers has opened up a world of possibilities to low-income immigrant and refugee women seeking economic self-sufficiency and work with dignity. Caregivers is a nine-month intensive childcare training program that provides comprehensive instruction, ESL classes and job placement services to 75 participants each year. Its reputation for training quality childcare professionals is well-known in the Bay Area. But, for participants, Caregivers does more than teach marketable skills: an emphasis on family literacy helps women forge stronger relationships with their own children, and a women's support group creates a safe space to openly discuss challenges faced at home and in their communities.