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Early childhood education programs in Los Angeles, California

11 early childhood programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

9 schools offer these early childhood education programs with classes in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Childcare workers look after children's needs and help their early development. What they need varies by state and employer, from no formal education to a certificate in early childhood education; most often states ask for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which takes coursework, experience and a period of being observed working with children.1 The CDA takes a high school diploma or GED, 120 hours of early childhood education, 480 hours of work with the age group you choose within three years, a portfolio and the CDA exam.2

In Los Angeles, 5 of the 11 programs take students without a high school diploma, 4 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 2 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 11 programs here are child care or preschool certificate (5 programs), early childhood education program (level not stated, 3 programs) and early childhood apprenticeship (3 programs).

See the 11 programs

All 65 early childhood programs in California, including online programs

How much do early childhood education programs cost in Los Angeles?

$945 to $2,340 is what most early childhood programs in Los Angeles cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 9 programs with a price. All of them: $120 to $4,678

In the typical program

Finished the program
58%
Working 6 months later
49%
Earned a year, estimated
about $30,400
Length
13 to 34 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Los Angeles may also offer early childhood education programs. How these figures are made

Are there free early childhood education programs in Los Angeles?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 11 early childhood programs in Los Angeles approved for WIOA funding

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11 programs

  • Early childhood education program (level not stated)In personEducation and courses

    Child Care Provider (Spanish & English)

    Caledonian, Inc.

    Santa Fe Springs

    Education and courses

    Caledonian, Inc., Santa Fe SpringsEarly childhood education program (level not stated)In person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$24,000
    Price if you pay yourself$4,678
    School website, Child Care Provider (Spanish & English) at Caledonian, Inc.
    More details about Child Care Provider (Spanish & English) at Caledonian, Inc.
    Finished
    54%
    Working at 6 months
    83%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,996
    Length
    16 weeks, 13 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $247
    Students counted
    306
    Earned a year, estimated
    $24,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,678
    School website, Child Care Provider (Spanish & English) at Caledonian, Inc.

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Early Childhood Education Assistant

    Westchester-Emerson Community Adult - LAUSD

    Los Angeles

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Westchester-Emerson Community Adult - LAUSD, Los AngelesChild care or preschool certificateIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$30,400
    Price if you pay yourself$1,050
    More details about Early Childhood Education Assistant at Westchester-Emerson Community Adult - LAUSD
    Finished
    60%
    Working at 6 months
    49%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,592
    Length
    10 weeks, 30 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $755
    Students counted
    157
    Earned a year, estimated
    $30,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,050

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personEducation and courses

    Child Day Care Worker

    Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD

    Los Angeles

    Education and courses

    Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD, Los AngelesChild care or preschool certificateIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$30,400
    Price if you pay yourself$2,025
    Program website, Child Day Care Worker at Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD
    More details about Child Day Care Worker at Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD
    Finished
    65%
    Working at 6 months
    52%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,592
    Length
    14 weeks, 19 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $450
    Students counted
    157
    Earned a year, estimated
    $30,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,025
    Program website, Child Day Care Worker at Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Early Childhood Education

    Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD

    Los Angeles

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD, Los AngelesChild care or preschool certificateIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$30,400
    Price if you pay yourself$2,340

    6 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Early Childhood Education at Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD
    More details about Early Childhood Education at Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD
    Finished
    54%
    Working at 6 months
    49%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,592
    Length
    12 weeks, 30 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $450
    Students counted
    140
    Earned a year, estimated
    $30,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,340
    students trained with WIOA funding
    6
    Program website, Early Childhood Education at Richard N. Slawson Occupational Center - LAUSD

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personNo diploma needed

    Preschool/Childcare Professions Certificate Program

    Norwalk-La Mirada Adult School

    Norwalk

    No diploma needed

    Norwalk-La Mirada Adult School, NorwalkChild care or preschool certificateIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$120
    More details about Preschool/Childcare Professions Certificate Program at Norwalk-La Mirada Adult School
    Finished
    35%
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    36 weeks, 6 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    112
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $120

  • Early childhood education program (level not stated)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Child Day Care Worker

    Los Angeles Technology Center - LAUSD

    Los Angeles

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Los Angeles Technology Center - LAUSD, Los AngelesEarly childhood education program (level not stated)In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$2,025
    Program website, Child Day Care Worker at Los Angeles Technology Center - LAUSD
    More details about Child Day Care Worker at Los Angeles Technology Center - LAUSD
    Finished
    85%
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    14 weeks, 19 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $382
    Students counted
    96
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,025
    Program website, Child Day Care Worker at Los Angeles Technology Center - LAUSD

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personNo diploma needed

    Child Development

    Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD

    Los Angeles

    No diploma needed

    Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD, Los AngelesChild care or preschool certificateIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$30,400
    Price if you pay yourself$945

    4 students trained with WIOA funding

    School website, Child Development at Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD
    More details about Child Development at Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD
    Finished
    62%
    Working at 6 months
    25%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,592
    Length
    9 weeks, 30 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $640
    Students counted
    93
    Earned a year, estimated
    $30,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $945
    students trained with WIOA funding
    4
    School website, Child Development at Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD

  • Early childhood education program (level not stated)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Child Day Care Worker

    East Valley Skills Center - LAUSD

    Sun Valley

    High school diploma or equivalent

    East Valley Skills Center - LAUSD, Sun ValleyEarly childhood education program (level not stated)In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$30,400
    Price if you pay yourself$945
    School website, Child Day Care Worker at East Valley Skills Center - LAUSD
    More details about Child Day Care Worker at East Valley Skills Center - LAUSD
    Finished
    57%
    Working at 6 months
    36%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,592
    Length
    18 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,005
    Students counted
    85
    Earned a year, estimated
    $30,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $945
    School website, Child Day Care Worker at East Valley Skills Center - LAUSD

  • Early childhood apprenticeshipHybridNo diploma needed

    Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship Program

    West Los Angeles College

    Culver City

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    West Los Angeles College, Culver CityEarly childhood apprenticeship · Accredited schoolHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$4,140
    School website, Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship Program at West Los Angeles College
    More details about Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship Program at West Los Angeles College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,140
    School website, Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship Program at West Los Angeles College

  • Early childhood apprenticeshipIn personNo diploma needed

    Youth Apprenticeship - Child Care Development Specialist

    Orange County Department of Education

    Costa Mesa

    No diploma needed

    Orange County Department of Education, Costa MesaEarly childhood apprenticeshipIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
    More details about Youth Apprenticeship - Child Care Development Specialist at Orange County Department of Education
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    52 weeks, 10 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Not reported

  • Early childhood apprenticeshipIn personNo diploma needed

    Youth Apprenticeship - Early Childhood Educator

    Orange County Department of Education

    Costa Mesa

    No diploma needed

    Orange County Department of Education, Costa MesaEarly childhood apprenticeshipIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
    More details about Youth Apprenticeship - Early Childhood Educator at Orange County Department of Education
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    52 weeks, 10 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Not reported

How to pay for early childhood education programs in Los Angeles

WIOA funding can pay for early childhood education programs in Los Angeles

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for early childhood education programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for early childhood education programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in Los Angeles

How early childhood education programs compare with the rest of education and social services across California: Child care and social services training in California

Where the Los Angeles early childhood education program numbers come from

Which Los Angeles early childhood education programs are on this list?

These are the early childhood education programs with classes in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area that are approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Online programs are left out here; they are on the California page. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what the area offers.

How the prices and results of Los Angeles early childhood education programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about early childhood education programs in Los Angeles

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Childcare Workers
  2. Council for Professional Recognition: CDA Credentialing Process Overview (February 2026)
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List