Training Information » CDA – Child Development Associate Credential

Click on the following link for complete information about obtaining a CDA credential. Council for Professional Recognition

Child Care Connections offers a CDA course each year beginning in the fall and running through May. The fee for the CDA course is $450 in addition to an application fee that is paid to the Council.

Financial assistance is available through T.E.A.C.H. Click here for Information about TEACH

The Child Development Associate (CDA) is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE) and is a key stepping stone on the path of career advancement in ECE. The CDA credential is based on a core set of competency standards, which guide early care professionals as they work toward becoming qualified teachers of young children. The Council works to ensure that the nationally-transferable CDA is a credible and valid credential, recognized by the profession as a vital part of professional development.

CDAs have knowledge of how to put the CDA Competency Standards into practice and understanding of why those standards help children move with success from one developmental stage to another. Put simply, CDAs know how to nurture the emotional, physical, intellectual, and social development of children.

Earning the CDA Credential has many advantages, including exposure to the larger community of early childhood educators. Over 260,000 educators have received their CDA to date!

Becoming a CDA is a big commitment, but one that creates confident practitioners with command of today’s best practices for teaching young children.

Are you considering earning your CDA? Click here to read personal stories from people that have gone through the CDA credentialing process. CDA personal stories

Benefits of a CDA

• Advance your career
• Meet job requirements
• Reinforce your commitment to early childhood education
• Provide parents with peace of mind
• Understand developmentally appropriate practice
• Increase your confidence