Program Highlights
The Mount is proud to offer the only university-level Child & Youth Study program in Atlantic Canada. Students in our program engage in practical training and theoretical explorations in child and youth work, early childhood education, as well as early intervention and inclusive development. As strong supporters of experiential learning we are pleased to offer our undergraduates four supervised practicum placements which enable our students to apply the knowledge that they have learned in the classroom to hands-on, real-world experience. We also offer a Master of Arts in Child and Youth Study.
The BA(CYS) degree is offered through a variety of delivery modes, with an emphasis on small class sizes, classroom engagement, and environments designed to support students’ learning and success. Courses are supported through Moodle/Collaborate. For more details on the program, contact the Department of Child and Youth Study via our Administrative Assistant, Sandra Schnare Sandra.Schnare@msvu.ca.
Our Department is committed to laying the groundwork for future leaders in the ECE and Child and Youth care fields. Your BA(CYS) degree will also prepare your for further education and professional preparation in Child and Youth Study, Education, Speech Language Pathology, Child Life and Social Work.
Vote with children and families in mind and heart: A statement on the 2025 Federal Canadian Election
Department of Child and Youth Study at MSVU
We, at the Child and Youth Study (CYS) department at Mount Saint Vincent University, encourage our students, colleagues, and Nova Scotia community to prioritize children and youth in the upcoming federal election. While the popular public discussion is focused on taxes and tariffs, we are asking you to dive deeper into what proposed policies mean for children, youth and their families in Nova Scotia, Canada and abroad.
We encourage our students, community and Canadians to think about the potential consequences of different governments for the inaugural national $10/day child care system, ongoing efforts towards truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, access to support services for newcomer children and families, inclusive education, and community programs for underserved and historically marginalized populations. As an institution founded on the principles of the “advancement of women and girls” we also feel it is important to pay attention to gender equity in the upcoming election.
The stakes are high. We are all navigating extremely uncertain times while being inundated with information. It can be overwhelming. This is the time to be “staying engaged, asking better questions, and refusing to let fear or frustration have the final word” (Witter, 2025).
Now, more than ever, it is essential that we come together and do what we can to stand with children, families, and communities.
Children and youth are relying on those of us who can vote to vote and to do so from an informed place.
Here are some resources that will help you understand where the different political parties stand on urgent local, national and international issues impacting children and youth.
Child and youth specific information and resources:
Canadian Child Care Federation – Political Party Commitments to Childcare
Child Care Now 2025
Indigenous child welfare (CBC article)
Indigenous Youth Roots – Federal Political Party Positions on Issues related to Indigenous Youth
