The Child Development Associate (CDA) Program
What is the CDA?
The Council for
Early Childhood Professional Recognition operates the Child Development
Associate (CDA) credentialing program as a major national effort to improve the
quality of child care. Focusing on the skills of the child care providers, the
program is designed to provide performance-based training, assessment, and
credentialing of child care staff,
family child care providers, and home visitors.
Goals
for competency in child care through CDA
I. To establish
and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment
II. To advance
physical and intellectual competence
III. To support
social and emotional development and to provide positive guidance
IV. To
establish positive and productive relationships with families
V. To
ensure a well run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs
VI. To maintain a commitment to
professionalism
Do
you qualify as a CDA Candidate?
Personal Requirements:
-
Be
18 years or older
-
Hold
a high school diploma or the equivalent
-
Be
able to speak, read, and write well enough to fulfill the responsibility of a
CDA Candidate
-
Sign
a statement of ethical conduct
Educational
Requirements
Have
120 hours of formal child care training taken in the last five years from an
agency or organization with expertise in early childhood teacher preparation.
Training
must consist of at least 10 hours in each of eight subject areas:
-
Plan
a safe, healthy learning environment
-
Steps
to advance children's physical and intellectual development
-
Positive
ways to support children's social and emotional development
-
Strategies
to manage an effective program option
-
Strategies
to establish positive relationships with families
-
Maintaining a commitment to professionalism
-
Observing and recording children's behavior
-
Principles of child growth and development
Experience Requirements
Setting Requirements
Choose one of these settings: (bilingual options available)