About the Child Development Associate (CDA)
The Child Development Associate® (CDA) credenal is the most widely
recognized credenal in early childhood educaon. Holding a CDA signies that
an early childhood educator has mastered the essenal competencies needed
by entry-level early childhood professionals. The CDA is administered by the
Council for Professional Recognion, a naonal organizaon that sets standards
for CDA conferral and confers the CDA on applicants who meet the standards.
The CDA is not an associate degree—it can be completed without ever enrolling
formally in an instuon of higher educaon. It is also a competency-based
credenal, meaning that compleng coursework alone is not sucient to
obtain a CDA—early childhood educators must also demonstrate mastery
through experience in the eld, an assessment and compleon of a porolio
and observaon.
CDA Renewal Requirements
Unlike an associate or bachelor’s degree, which once conferred are held for life,
early childhood educators who hold a CDA must renew their CDA every three
years from the award date in order for the CDA to remain up to date. In order
to renew a CDA, current CDA holders must complete requirements related to
professional development, connued work with children and safety:
CDA RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS
Professional • Connued professional educaon (i.e., 45 clock hours
of training in early childhood educaon [ECE] and/or
child development)
• Membership to a naonal or local early childhood
professional organizaon
Connued
Work with
Children
• Minimum 80 hours working with young children
• Recommendaon from an ECE reviewer (e.g., center
director, supervisor, etc.)
Safety • First Aid and infant and child CPR cercaon
Oce of the State Superintendent of Educaon (OSSE)-sponsored grantees can
support early childhood educators to complete all CDA renewal requirements
(see more informaon below). The Council for Professional Recognion
recommends that current CDA holders begin the renewal process at least
six months prior to their CDA expiraon date, which can be found on the
cercate issued by the Council for Professional Recognion.
Supports for Renewal through OSSE-Sponsored Partners
Resources and supports are available to help early childhood educators renew
their CDA! These include CDA renewal scholarships through OSSE’s CDA training
and preparaon program grantees, Southeast Children’s Fund (SCF) and
CentroNía Instute as well as virtual training for early childhood educators to
renew their CDA through Quorum E-Learning. SCF, CentroNía Instute and other
OSSE partners can support early childhood educators to complete all components
of the CDA renewal process.
Renewing Your Child Development Associate Credenal:
Requirements and Supports for Early Educators
For more informaon on CDA
renewal scholarships or to
be connected with a CDA
renewal program, contact the
ECE Help Desk, SCF or
CentroNía Instute.
OSSE’s ECE Help Desk:
Email [email protected]
or call (202) 478-5903
SCF:
Complete the SCF CDA interest
form or call (202) 406-0422
SCAN for the SCF CDA Interest Form
CentroNía Instute:
Complete the CDA interest form
or call (202) 332-4200, ext. 1142
or ext. 1021.
SCAN for the CentroNia
CDA Interest Form
Published: October 2023