The Child and Youth Care First Nations program provides students with the knowledge and skills to work with individuals, their families and small groups across a variety of practice settings which provide support to First Nations children, youths and their families.The program reflects the needs of First Nations peoples and is continually developing with involvement from the First Nations communities of the Cowichan area, as well as from the First Nations students who bring the teachings of their communities into the program.The Child and Youth Care First Nations program is offered on a full-time basis. The core courses must be taken concurrently and are offered over a two-year period.Students who successfully complete the two-year program, including 300 hours of practicum, will be eligible for VIU’s Diploma in Child and Youth Care. This program is referred to as a “ladder” program. Students exiting the program with a CYC diploma may choose to apply their earned credits toward a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care degree at Vancouver Island University, University of the Fraser Valley, University of Victoria or Douglas College.