CDA - Child Development Associate

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CDA – Child Development Associate

Introduction: What is the CDA?
Qualifications: What are the Eligibility Requirements for CDA Candidates and Advisors?
Benefits: What is the Value of the CDA?
The CDA Process: What are the Steps of the CDA Process
The CDA Process Checklist

Introduction: What is the CDA?

The Child Development Associate is a national credentialing program administered by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, DC that is designed to enhance the quality of child care. The CDA Credential is awarded to individuals who have completed the national CDA requirements and who have proven their competence to work with young children and their families through a process of on-the-job performance evaluations, review by other early childhood professionals, and successful completion of an assessment by the national Council for Early Childhood Recognition.

A person who has earned the CDA Credential is referred to as a "CDA" or a Child Development Associate. A CDA can earn the credential in one of several emphasis areas:

Center-based Preschool
Center-based Infant Toddler
Family Child Care

CDA Competencies and Functional Areas:

The CDA is a demonstrated credential. This means that a CDA candidate must demonstrate their knowledge, skill, and competency in caring for young children before the CDA Credential will be awarded. Candidates are required to demonstrate competency in six general areas, which are further organized in thirteen specific developmental and programmatic functions.

Competency Goal	Functional Area
To establish safe, healthy, learning environments	Safe Healthy Learning Environments
To advance physical and intellectual competence	Physical Development Cognitive Development Language Development Creativity
To support social and emotional development and to provide positive guidance	Self Identity (Emotional) Social Development Guidance
To establish positive and productive relationships with parents	Working with Families
To ensure a well-run, purposeful program responsive to participant’s needs	Program Management
To maintain a commitment to professionalism	Professionalism

Qualifications: What are the Eligibility Requirements for CDA Candidates and Advisors?

Candidates:

CDA candidates are individuals interested in professional growth in the early childhood field. Typically, CDA candidates are center staff, Head Start staff, family or group child care providers, or others who work with young children age birth to five years of age, in group care settings.

To begin the CDA process, an individual must:

Hold a high school degree or GED
Be at least 18 years of age or older
Speak, read, and write well enough to fulfill the responsibilities of a CDA
In North Dakota, the candidate must also be able to pass a criminal background check and qualify for employment in a licensed child care program, whether home or center.

Advisors:

CDA Advisors work with candidates to complete the formal observation and to provide feedback on various aspects of the candidate’s competence in caring for young children.

Affirm her/his ability to relate to people of various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Be knowledgeable about local, state, and national requirements, standards, and guidelines for child care.
Be familiar with the center or family child care home where the candidate is observed and the needs of families and children in the community.
Meet one of the three combinations of education and experience as outlined by the Council.

Benefits: What is the Value of the CDA?

The CDA Credential is awarded to an individual rather than to a program or facility. Because the CDA Credential is nationally recognized, individuals who have earned the CDA can use the Credential to qualify for employment in early childhood anywhere in the United States. The CDA is a benchmark standard in most state’s early childhood professional development system.

In North Dakota, the CDA Credential is the minimum qualification to become a child care center director. It is also a hiring consideration for positions in Head Start.

The CDA Process: What are the Steps of the CDA Process?

The CDA process has three steps: Training, Assessment, and Credentialing.
Training:

120 hours of formal education/training/coursework, completed within the past five years

Training may be completed at one institutions/agency or through a combination of sources such as colleges, universities, and technical colleges, CCR&R, Head Start, the U.S. military, workshops, and so on.
Training must apply to children ages birth to five year, in group care settings
Training must fit into eight specific content areas, with at least ten hours in each area.

Planning 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 establish productive relationships with families.
Strategies to manage an effective program operation.
Maintaining a commitment to professionalism.
Observing and recording children's behavior.
Principles of child growth and development.

480 hours of supervised work experience within the past five year, working with children ages birth to five year in a licensed child care facility.

Assessment

Assessment is done through a combination of observation, parent opinion questionnaires, and written and oral evaluation.

Observation by a qualified early childhood advisor
Evaluation by parents of children in the candidate's care
Compilation of a Professional Resource File, including an autobiography and written statements of competence in the six CDA Competency Areas, and the collection of 17 specific resources
Written and oral assessment by a representative of the National CDA Council

Credentialing

Upon review of the candidate’s training and assessment, the CDA National Credentialing Program will either award the credential or invite the applicant to reapply for assessment.

A CDA credential is valid for 3 years after the initial award, and for 5 years after that. Renewal of the CDA Credential is required.

The CDA Process Checklist

Checklist for the CDA Direct Assessment Process
1. _____ Complete 120 hours of formal education/training
2. _____ Order a CDA packet in one of the following emphasis areas:
Infant/Toddler Preschool Family childcare

To complete the CDA process, you must be providing direct care for children in the age group and setting you select as your emphasis area. If you are a float or aide in a child care program, meet with your director to determine which age group to select as your emphasis and make arrangements to work closely with that group of children during the time you complete the CDA process. Note that Early Head Start programs usually require the Infant/Toddler emphasis.
Packets can be purchased through:

The Council for Professional Recognition
P.O. Box 922270
Atlanta, GA, 31193

Packet Price: $15.00 plus $5.00 for shipping = $20.00 (fee subject to change). Be sure to include which emphasis you have selected - Infant/Toddler, Preschool, or Family child care
Call: 1-800-224-8103 for to order with a credit card.

3. _____ Complete your Professional Resource File

Your Professional Resource File includes your autobiography, six statements of competency, and 17 specific resources.

4. _____ Secure an advisor
5. _____ Complete a formal observation (in CDA packet) with your advisor

The advisor will complete a formal observation of you while you serve as the lead teacher with children in the age group/setting you selected as your emphasis area. The observation is based on demonstrated competency.
The advisor must complete the formal observation within six months of the time you apply for direct assessment.

6. _____ Hand out parent questionnaires (in CDA packet) to the parents of the children in candidate’s care

The parent questionnaires must be completed within six months of the time you apply for direct assessment

7. _____ Submit the direct assessment application (long form in CDA packet)

The assessment fee is $325.00. Payment must be included with the direct assessment application.
Direct assessment applications are accepted on a quarterly basis, on the 1st day of December, March, June and September.

8. _____ Wait to hear from the National CDA Representative (30-120 days) to schedule your direct assessment verification visit.
9. _____ Watch your mailbox for news from the National CDA Council. The Council will review all of your information and decide whether to issue the CDA credential (This process can take from 30-90 days).
For more information visit:The CDA Council for Professional Recognition or call toll free: 800-424-4310

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