Formal training for CYCs began in Ontario in 1957 at the Thistletown Hospital in the northwest area of Toronto (Weston).  It was a 2-year program leading to a diploma in "Child Care Work" from the Ministry of Health.  During the 1960s the program spread to other major centres in Ontario with psychiatric facilities for children and adolescents.

When Ontario created community colleges in 1967, George Brown College in Toronto was the first to offer the "Child Care Worker" diploma but was soon followed by colleges in major cities throughout Ontario.  In 1987 these colleges changed the name of the program to "Child and Youth Worker."  A few years later, the francophone CYW programs (in Timmins, Sudbury and Ottawa) moved into separate French-speaking colleges to offer the French equivalent of the CYW diploma, Techniques d'éducation spécialisée (TES).

All Ontario CYW/TES programs are 6 semesters or 3 years long although a number offer "fast-track" options and/or advanced credits for those with related post-secondary education.  All programs feature a combination of academic instruction and field placement -- on-the-job training with up to 1500 hours of supervised practice in a wide range of social agencies and school boards.

CYCs wanting to pursue higher education in the profession can go on to an honours degree (a 4-year BA) in Child and Youth Care at Ryerson University.  Designed specifically for CYW graduates, it is called a "degree completion" program because the CYW diploma is credited as the first 2 years of the BA, so students complete years 3 and 4 at Ryerson.  Students have the option of doing the program on-campus (in Toronto) or via the internet and other distance education/correspondence means.