Childcare Worker Program

The school is authorized by the President of the Normandy Regional Council to admit a class of 25 students. It is headed by a director, approved by the President of the Normandy Region. The Regional Council is responsible for granting accreditation and operating licenses for the school.

The General Directorate of theRegional Health Agency (ARS) monitors the quality of training and the management of competitions and examinations.

AFNOR certifies that the University Hospital of CAEN has been deemed to comply with the requirements for carrying out training activities.

Certificate No. 2022/98983.1

• Decree of 13 July 1983 relating to the course of studies for Childcare Nurses
• Decree of 17 October 1985 relating to the State Diploma for Childcare Nurses,
• Order of 12 December 1990 relating to schooling, the State Diploma of Childcare Nurse(s) and the operation of schools, amended by the order of 15 March 2010.
• Decree of 21 January 1993 relating to schooling, the State Diploma for Childcare Nurses and the operation of schools.
• Order of 15 March 2010 amending the order of 12 December 1990 relating to schooling, the State Diploma of Childcare Nurse(s) and the operation of schools.
• Order of 10 June 2021 containing provisions relating to the authorizations of paramedical training institutes and schools and the approval of their director in application of articles R.4383-2 and R.4383-4 of the public health code.

The training provided guarantees a level of expertise that enables childcare workers to care for children from birth to adolescence.

The training offers, in a comprehensive approach to situations, a response adapted to their health needs in their family, in health and rehabilitation establishments, in establishments and services for children under six years of age, in services for the protection and promotion of health for mothers and children and in child welfare.

Back to school : September

Duration : 12 months, or 1500 hours of training

The professional practice of childcare nurses has evolved considerably, particularly in the psychosocial approach. The childcare nursing program at the paramedical campus of the Caen University Hospital trains childcare nurses to work in healthcare, social care, and early childhood facilities.

The educational project is based on a commitment to the child, ensuring their best interests are protected, particularly with regard to:

• To contribute to the satisfaction of its specific needs;
• To preserve one's rights;
• To support their process of empowerment and socialization.

The childcare worker fosters a dynamic project, adopting a constructive approach that facilitates creativity and leadership. This requires the ability to bring professionals together around a project, to share knowledge, and to ensure consistency in the work.

Acquire the professional skills to carry out the activities of a childcare worker:

• assess the health and development of children and adolescents;
• to design and implement a care and education project adapted to the child;
• implement care adapted to children with health conditions;
• to support and assist families in the parenting process;
• design and implement activities to promote child health and protect children;
• to organize and coordinate care and developmental and early learning activities for children and adolescents;
• manage the resources of a service or childcare facility;
• to search, process and produce professional and scientific data.

They will only be achieved through the development of a fundamental capacity of a childcare worker: observation.

In accordance with the law of February 11, 2005 for equal rights and opportunities, participation and citizenship of disabled persons, the principles of non-discrimination and accessibility are applied to training.

A disability liaison officer is connected to all programs on the paramedical campus of the Caen University Hospital. Students can contact her at: pfp-sec-dir@chu-caen.fr

Points to be aware of:

There is no obligation for the student to disclose their disability status to their training institution, whether at the time of the competition or during their studies.

The disability status of a candidate or student is confidential, even if it may be subject to a secret shared between professionals in the training structure.

Subsidies from the Normandy Region, Pôle Emploi, CROUS…

Before entering school, you must absolutely ensure the financing of your training and your resources during the duration of your training.

Regional scholarships : the awarding of the scholarship is based on the student's family income; this income bracket and the scholarship amount are set annually. Applications for scholarships should be submitted to the following address: messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr

Fees:
Starting in September 2023, students eligible for regional funding (as defined in Article 2.1.1 of the attached regulations)will have their tuition costs fully covered. For students not eligible, the tuition fee will be €9,000 for the year.

• A theoretical training of 790 hours  including 140 hours of tutorials and assessment spread over the year of training and covering several fields: introduction to training, health policy, administrative organization, law, training in relationship education, history of the profession, sociology, the child (psychology and physiology), medical pathologies (prenatal, neonatal period, from 1 month to adolescence), dietetics, psychology and psycho-sociology, psycho-pedagogy, training in management and organization.
• A 710-hour clinical training course.
• Annual leave : 40 working days including 20 consecutive working days, the dates of which are determined by management after consultation with the technical council.

Educational project 25-26

Start : mid-September of year N
End : mid-September of year N+1

Alternance-PUER-25-26

The proximity of the NORSIMS healthcare simulation center at Caen University Hospital facilitates the development of a partnership aimed at integrating simulation into paramedical training programs. The University Hospital and the University of Caen Normandy thus created NORSIMS to offer current and future healthcare professionals training that includes simulation.

The simulation workshops offered are:

• resuscitation techniques in the delivery room with medical students and midwives;
• emergency procedures in pediatrics;
• role-playing games.

The training is provided by health professionals who are trainers, State-Certified Nurses and Childcare Nurses, who have varied professional experience and university qualifications: University Diplomas, Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees.

Permanent instructors work in collaboration with university professors and field professionals. Since 2013, students have benefited from a university digital platform that allows them to access educational content remotely.

Each student is monitored during the training by a designated training manager who guides them in acquiring their skills.

Structured sessions in small groups allow students to share their experiences and work on areas where they encounter difficulties. These sessions are facilitated by the school's teaching staff.

Educational support is a practice of individual or group guidance carried out throughout the training process. Its aim is to help the student cope with training situations and build their professional identity.

Educational support should enable the student to develop their autonomy and reflexivity, to identify their personal and professional resources, to identify their paths to progress, to readjust their attitudes and behavior if necessary, to decode their emotions and use them with the necessary professional distance.

It takes several forms: individual monitoring of learning in internship situations and of the student's progress in acquisitions, formative clinical support in the field, guidance of the pair in the Information Action in Health Education, individual and collective guidance of the Professional Project.

During the preparatory course for the State Diploma in Childcare, a continuous assessment of professional skills is instituted; these skills are:

• ability to solve a care problem, that is, to identify needs, choose resources and make them work,
• ability to learn on the job,
• ability to improve one's professional attitudes,
• ability to work in a group
• ability to communicate, to lead,
• teaching capacity
• ability to position oneself professionally, to position oneself within the service

Several accredited assessments:

• Knowledge assessment : 3 written exams over the course of the training year
• Synthesis tests in 3 areas:
  • Health Education Information Action (HEI)
  • Resolution of a healthcare problem in the field, in the hospital or non-hospital sector (RPSIT)
  • Developing a career plan

The childcare training program at the university hospital's paramedical campus is part of a training hub that includes:

• Initial training programs : nurses , ambulance drivers , nursing assistants , medical radiographers
• Specialty training : nurse anesthetists , operating room nurses
• the training of healthcare managers
• Medical training : medicine, pharmacy, midwifery, speech therapy

Bringing these training programs together on a single site, the Health Training and Research Center, allows for the development of shared and innovative educational activities: multi-professional teaching and internships.

The building is accessible to people with disabilities. A disability liaison officer is in contact with all training facilities. Students concerned can contact her through the school office.

The internships take place in sectors approved by the school and are mainly held at the University Hospital of Caen and in hospitals in the region by agreement.

The internship is a training opportunity that allows for the development of professional skills and attitudes, and the acquisition of competencies. It must take place in a sector related to the role of a state-certified childcare worker

• 25 to 30% in the hospital sector;
• 25 to 30% in the non-hospital sector.
• 40 to 50% of internships will be determined based on the students' skills, professional background and project, the interest of the internship and the quality of the supervision.

All students must demonstrate, at the end of their training (professional activity being taken into account), experience in the following departments: neonatology, maternity, pediatrics ; neonatal, medical, surgical, or pediatric emergency resuscitation, child protection, collective or family care facilities for children under 6 years old.

The internship sites are approved every 3 years by the school director, on the proposal of the school director after consultation with the technical council.

The Regional Directorate for the Economy, Employment, Labour and Solidarity (DREETS) is responsible for certifying the State Diploma. The training leads to the awarding of the State Diploma for Pediatric Nurse.

The State Diploma for childcare workers is awarded, upon the recommendation of the supervisory board, by the regional prefect, to students who have successfully completed the assessment of their knowledge and professional skills:

1. an overall average grade of 15 out of 30 or higher on the knowledge assessments,
2. a score of 15 out of 30 or higher in each of the synthesis tests
3. an average score of 5 out of 10 or higher for each skill assessed during the internship.

Additional schooling options (maximum 3 months) or repeating a year are available for students who do not meet the above requirements.

The pediatric nurse can work in a hospital setting (maternity, neonatology, pediatrics or pediatric surgery…), maternal and child protection.

After a few years of professional experience, a pediatric nurse can move towards other responsibilities:

• Nursery director (job which requires 5 years of full-time professional experience) ;
• Early childhood coordinator;
• Healthcare manager (after 4 years of full-time professional experience) whose entry is by competitive examination.

In order to familiarize candidates with the new competition procedures, the IPUER program at the paramedical campus offers 2 days of preparatory training for the selections.

The main objective of the training is to enable nursing professionals and third-year nursing students to improve their chances of success in the selection process for entry into the childcare worker sector.

Day 1 will be dedicated to preparing the eligibility file and day 2 to preparing for the admission interview.

Registration for this training course can be done via the following form: here

This competition only grants access to the childcare worker program at the paramedical campus of the Caen Normandy University Hospital

The childcare training program at the Caen paramedical campus is approved for 25 students. The stated admission requirements comply with the decreeof December 12, 1990, as amended by thedecree of September 5, 2025, relating to the curriculum and the state diploma for childcare nurses.

Admission to the training program is by selection after submitting an online application via the My Select 

All information regarding the events can be found here

All supporting documents must be provided complete and unstapled before January 19, 2026 inclusive (postmark date will be considered proof).

Drop off at the reception desk of the "Health Training and Research Center" building or in the mailbox located at the building entrance at the following address:
Paramedical Campus – IPUER Program,
2 rue des Rochambelles,
14000 Caen
OR
Send by mail to
: Paramedical Campus
, Childcare Nurse Program,
CS 30001 – 14033 Caen Cedex 9

To be assessed, the eligibility file must include the following documents:

1. A copy of an identity document;
2. A curriculum vitae;
3. A letter of commitment from the candidate to pay the tuition fees;
4. Copies of the original titles, diplomas or certificates obtained;
5. A school certificate attesting to the registration, for the current year, in the final year of studies leading to one of the diplomas mentioned in Article 1 of the decree of 12/12/190 amended by the decree of 5/09/2025, in the event that the candidate does not yet hold one of these diplomas;
6. A document certifying payment of the registration fees for the selection tests. These fees amount to 100 euros;
7. A letter of application outlining the professional project and including an analysis of a care situation experienced during an internship or as a professional.

The situation analysis mentioned above allows the candidate to adopt a reflective stance by:

• Analyzing the situation in light of recommendations for good professional practices;
• Identifying strengths and areas for improvement;
• Questioning the ethical issues raised.

Instructions to follow when preparing your application letter:

– Your work is in paper format. Two copies must be provided.

– Your production must contain between 6 and 8 pages (front and back).

– You will use ARIAL font size 12 with a line spacing of 1.5.

– Your file must be paginated.

Documents 2, 4 and 7 of the eligibility file, cited above, are assessed in light of the training requirements listed in Annex 1 of the decree of 12/12/1990 amended by the decree of 5/09/2025.

Candidates who have obtained a score of 10 points or higher out of 20 are declared eligible

The individual admission interview lasts a total of 20 minutes and is graded out of 20 points. It includes:

1° An oral presentation by the candidate on their professional project;

2° A brief description of the care situation presented in the application file.

The presentation, mentioned above, must be a maximum of 10 minutes and will be followed by an exchange with the jury.

The purpose of the individual admission interview is:

• To assess the candidate's ability to develop clinical reasoning and manage a care situation;
• To assess the candidate's skills and ability to follow the training;
• To assess the candidate's career plan and motivation.

Any score below 10 is a failing grade.

The highest-ranked candidates are declared admitted, up to the school's approved capacity

They will be directly accessible on the website https://concours.chu-caen.fr/MySelect/ and displayed at the paramedical campus of the Caen Normandy University Hospital.

Display of eligibility results : February 18, 2027 – 12:00 PM
Display of admission results : March 15, 2027 – 12:00 PM

Admission results are valid for the academic year for which they were published. In exceptional circumstances (refusal of financial support, pregnancy, adoption leave, rejection of a training leave request, etc.), the school administration may grant a deferral. The total number of such deferrals cannot exceed two years.