Do you even know what I'm taking in school?

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This year, I am in Grant Macewan's Bachelor of Child and Youth Care program.  I had never heard of it before either.  However, if I get asked "oh, so you want to be nanny?" one more time, I will beat the shit out of that person.  No, you do not need four years of education to be a nanny.  Or a babysitter.  Or work in a daycare. 

Child and youth care workers have to receive training in suicide intervention, practice crisis management, understand the Youth Criminal Justice Act, have the ability to do physical interventions and restraints, know the side effects from substance abuse, provide therapeutic counselling, teach behaviour management skills, and provide treatment plans.  We work with children and youth who have been diagnosed with anything from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder, to mental retardation, post-partum depression, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia (etc, etc, etc.).

Many young people experience neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Through mentorship, role-modeling and positive reinforcement, child and youth care workers can help young people and their families overcome these emotional and behavioural problems. Accepting children and youth as they are and not how we wish them to be, and understanding the difference between being a rescuer and a caring professional are key attributes of the child and youth care worker.  We work in a professional environment with high-risk youth and families. 

We deal with being told to fuck ourselves, cleaning crap after it's been smeared over walls, intervening when one is contemplating suicide, and on occasion are even attacked.  We get paid as much as someone who serves coffee because the government does not recognize it as a real profession.  People always say how important it is to help and teach the children of today, as they will be the leaders of tomorrow, but the number of people who have the proper training and abilities to do so is minimal.  It can be viewed as the most emotionally draining, physically demanding, and stressful job in the world.  It is also the most rewarding.  

Any questions?

Awesome cousins of mine- great day playing outside :)
-Every kid is a great kid-