The DEEJE has been based since the start of the 2018 academic year on a structured skills framework established by the decree of August 19, 2018, rather than on simple training areas. This architecture changes the game for anyone considering a distance learning path: each skills block can be subject to a separate evaluation, allowing for non-linear progressions and partial validations. Here, we detail the technical points that the general presentations of the profession overlook.
DEEJE Skills Framework and Remote Block Breakdown
The diploma revolves around four areas of competence: welcoming and supporting young children and their families, educational action directed at young children, professional communication, and institutional and partnership dynamics. Each area corresponds to a certifiable block independent of the others.
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For a candidate in distance training, this granularity is crucial. Validating an isolated block allows for splitting the path over several years without losing the benefits of already acquired units. The accredited training centers offering FOAD (open and distance training) organize their modules in line with these blocks, with certification tests scheduled on the same calendar as in-person cohorts.
In practice, a professional in retraining working in a daycare can capitalize on the block related to educational action by relying on their daily practice while following the theoretical courses of the other blocks through virtual classes. This flexibility did not exist before 2018 when validation was global and sequential.
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Mandatory Internships and Practical Constraints of the EJE Distance Path
The main obstacle of a distance EJE training is not the theoretical teaching, but the volume of internships required by the framework. The curriculum includes several periods of practical training spread over the duration of the diploma, in various structures: multi-reception centers, collective daycare, hospital facilities, and child protection services.
We recommend securing internship placements even before finalizing registration. The tripartite agreements (training center, host structure, intern) require a formalized agreement, and places in early childhood care facilities remain highly contested, especially in Île-de-France and large metropolitan areas.
For those wishing to train for the EJE diploma remotely, the search for an internship constitutes the first feasibility filter of the project. A candidate already employed in a childcare structure has a clear advantage, as part of the internship can take place at their workplace, provided there is a supervising tutor holding the DEEJE or an equivalent diploma.
Geographical Distribution of Internship Locations
Rural areas sometimes offer more availability than densely populated urban areas. However, the diversity of the public welcomed there is lower, which can complicate the validation of the area related to institutional and partnership dynamics. Anticipating this constraint from the choice of training center avoids dead ends at the end of the course.
Funding and Regional Schemes for DEEJE Training in Alternation or FOAD
Since 2023-2024, several regions have strengthened financial support for social training at a distance or in alternation. Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are among the most active territories in this area, with schemes covering educational costs for apprentices, employer aids, and remuneration for professional training interns.
For an adult in retraining, the financial setup generally relies on one of these levers:
- The apprenticeship contract, accessible without age limit in the social sector, which combines remuneration and full coverage of training costs by the branch OPCO
- The CPF (personal training account), mobilizable for certified training registered in the RNCP, of which the DEEJE is a part
- Specific regional aids, available on regional professional training portals, which vary according to the candidate’s status (job seeker, employee, self-employed)
- The VAE (validation of acquired experience), which does not finance a training course per se but allows obtaining all or part of the diploma based on documented professional experience in booklet 2
The combination of several schemes is possible, but the administrative coordination between funders remains cumbersome. We observe that candidates who prepare their financial file in advance, before the opening of registrations on Parcoursup, gain several months on the overall timeline.
Parcoursup and Registrations for Hybrid DEEJE Training
DEEJE training, including those incorporating a distance learning component, now goes through Parcoursup. This shift has eliminated the old “school by school” applications for the majority of accredited centers. The Parcoursup calendar therefore imposes its own constraints: wish formulation in the first trimester, admission phase in spring, confirmation during the summer.
For candidates in retraining, the Parcoursup procedure may seem inappropriate (it was designed for high school graduates). However, the “Activities and Interests” section becomes the main lever: this is where professional experience in early childhood, missions in daycare or after-school care, and knowledge of the social sector gain their full value against post-bac profiles without field experience.
Selection Criteria of Schools
Each training center publishes its expectations on the Parcoursup sheet. The recurring criteria focus on reflective analysis capacity, knowledge of the institutional framework of early childhood, and motivation supported by direct contact with the 0-7 age group. A candidate without any experience with young children has very little chance of being selected, regardless of their academic level.
Hybrid training explicitly mentions the distance component in their sheet. Checking this ratio before formulating a wish helps avoid disappointments: some programs advertised as “remote” actually offer only one or two online modules, with the rest taking place in person on-site.
The path to the DEEJE at a distance requires a higher level of planning rigor than a traditional curriculum. The skills framework in blocks offers real flexibility, but internships, funding, and the Parcoursup selection remain concrete barriers that only methodical preparatory work can overcome.