Child Development Associate
Encyclopedia
Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is awarded in the United States to those who have completed a list of requirements, including 120 hours of training, set forth by the Council for Professional Recognition, and who have successfully passed the verification visit to work with Infants/Toddlers or Preschoolers. There are several settings toward which a CDA can be awarded: Center-based Infant/Toddler, Center-based Preschool, Family Child Care
, Bi-lingual
, and Home Visitor. This is now an entry-level credential for early care and education providers.
CDAs must be able to work with parents and children, and be competent in 17 Functional Areas, as outlined by the Council for Professional Recognition. The CDA is a national credential and has been accepted in all 50 of the United States, and the U.S. Territories. The required training can be completed at in-person classes or online. On the Council's website, as listed below, there is a listing of training agencies throughout the United States that offer CDA training. This list is more reliable than those training venues retrieved from doing a search because, many times, they are not legitimate (the training hours are not accepted by the Council, for example). Also, because quality standards are continually being raised for early care and education, caregivers are being required to have an associate degree
, even for an entry-level position, in many states. It is suggested, then, that candidates acquire the 120 clock hours of training in the form of college credits, so that they can use the credits to continue their education down the road, if they need to earn a degree. Not all of the training venues offer college credit for the training hours that are provided and candidates should be sure to verify this before spending any money.
Many states participate in the T.E.A.C.H scholarship program that will pay for a good portion of the training toward a CDA, the candidates textbooks, and the application fee for the CDA, which is currently $325. It is well worth it to check this out. In some states, the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship program is also funding associate and bachelor degrees.
In the state of California
the (CDE) California Department of Education
issues child development
permits. The permits are based on education and experience. There are six levels of permits: Assistant Teacher
, Associate Teacher, Teacher, Master Teacher, Site Supervisor and Program Director
.
Childcare
Child care means caring for and supervising child/children usually from 0–13 years of age. In the United States child care is increasingly referred to as early childhood education due to the understanding of the impact of early experiences of the developing child...
, Bi-lingual
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
, and Home Visitor. This is now an entry-level credential for early care and education providers.
CDAs must be able to work with parents and children, and be competent in 17 Functional Areas, as outlined by the Council for Professional Recognition. The CDA is a national credential and has been accepted in all 50 of the United States, and the U.S. Territories. The required training can be completed at in-person classes or online. On the Council's website, as listed below, there is a listing of training agencies throughout the United States that offer CDA training. This list is more reliable than those training venues retrieved from doing a search because, many times, they are not legitimate (the training hours are not accepted by the Council, for example). Also, because quality standards are continually being raised for early care and education, caregivers are being required to have an associate degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
, even for an entry-level position, in many states. It is suggested, then, that candidates acquire the 120 clock hours of training in the form of college credits, so that they can use the credits to continue their education down the road, if they need to earn a degree. Not all of the training venues offer college credit for the training hours that are provided and candidates should be sure to verify this before spending any money.
Many states participate in the T.E.A.C.H scholarship program that will pay for a good portion of the training toward a CDA, the candidates textbooks, and the application fee for the CDA, which is currently $325. It is well worth it to check this out. In some states, the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship program is also funding associate and bachelor degrees.
In the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
the (CDE) California Department of Education
California Department of Education
The California Department of Education is a California agency that oversees public education. The department oversees funding and testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement...
issues child development
Child development
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
permits. The permits are based on education and experience. There are six levels of permits: Assistant Teacher
Assistant teacher
Assistant teachers are additional teachers assisting a primary teacher, often in the same class room. An example for the use of assistant teachers is the German Assistant teacher programme of the Educational Exchange Service....
, Associate Teacher, Teacher, Master Teacher, Site Supervisor and Program Director
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
.