A Division of Care Solutions, Inc.
CDA TRAINING
| Earning a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential TM opens up numerous opportunities for your career path. The CDA is the best first step toward career advancement in early childhood education (ECE). But it can be difficult when you are already working full-time to find the extra time to take the 120-hours of formal early childhood education training required. Administered by the Council for Professional Recognition, the CDA is the only nationally recognized, portable, reciprocal, competency-based credential of its kind. ProSolutions Training offers the most economical and comprehensive online courses designed to help you meet the formal education requirements needed to earn and maintain your CDA credential. In July 2017, ProSolutions Training received the CDA Council’s new CDA® Gold Standard Training Certification because of the quality of our online coursework, the support services we provide for students and our comprehensive learning management system. |
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Earn Your CDA
The most economical and comprehensive courses to help you complete the formal education requirements needed to complete and maintain your CDA credential.Renew Your CDA
To ensure that early childhood education professionals have current knowledge and skills, the Council requires that the CDA to be renewed every three years.
Earning Your CDA
ProSolutions Training offers the most economical and comprehensive courses to help you complete the formal education requirements needed to complete and maintain your Child Development Associate (CDA) CredentialTM from the Council for Professional Recognition. In July 2017, ProSolutions Training received the Council’s new CDA® Gold Standard Training Certification because of the quality of our online coursework, the support services we provide for students and our comprehensive learning management system.Eligibility Requirements
- A minimum of a high school diploma/GED or current enrollment in a high school career/technical program
- 480 clock hours of experience working with children within three years of beginning your application
- 120 hours of training in eight subject areas, all covered in the ProSolutions Training online CDA coursework
Benefits of the ProSolutions Training CDA Coursework
Having a CDA credential opens up numerous opportunities, but it can be difficult for a professional who is already working to find the time to take classes. At ProSolutions Training, we provide you with the most economical online alternative for the formal early childhood education portion of your journey to the CDA. You'll get all the coursework you need to apply, and so much more:
- Flexibility — Courses are available 24/7, and you can take them in any order at your own pace.
- Free resources — Each course you complete includes additional materials you can use, from helpful book lists to practical ideas for your classroom. Examples of these free resources include:
- State-approved coursework — Our online coursework has been reviewed and is approved by most state regulatory agencies. For information on coursework approval in your state, visit our approvals page.
- Coursework is available in English and in Spanish.
- Head Start staff can use our CDA coursework to meet Head Start training requirements.
- Special support from ProSolutions Training that you won't find from other online training providers, helping you maximize the value of your training:
- A review course at the end of each subject area to help you remember the key elements in that subject area
- Advice about the CDA competency goals and resource collection requirements
- Access to two additional courses, Your Journey to the CDA Credential: Let's Get Started! and Creating a Dynamite Professional Portfolio!, which review the requirements for a CDA credential and provide practical advice on how to assemble your application
The Application
Once you have determined your eligibility and completed the required coursework, purchase the CDA Competency Standards Book from the Council for Professional Recognition. This book will provide you with all of the steps required to prepare for the application process, including:- Preparation of the Professional Portfolio – a collection of resources.
- Reflective Statements of Competence – using, at key points, the resources you collected.
- Professional Philosophy Statement – a summary of your viewpoint; takes into account learning that occurred when preparing the Professional Portfolio.
- Family Questionnaires – to be distributed to the families of children in your care; the questionnaires highlight areas of strength as well as areas of growth.
The next step is to start the Council for Professional Recognition's application process, either online or on paper. As part of the application process, you will select a CDA Professional Development (PD) Specialist from the Council's online directory. This person will observe you working with young children as part of the process.
Get Started
Still have questions? Contact us today at 770.642.6939 or 1.800.939.9694 or send us an email.
What You Need To Know About Renewing Your CDA
ProSolutions Training offers coursework to help you meet the renewal requirements. In July 2017, ProSolutions Training received the Council’s new CDA® Gold Standard Training Certification because of the quality of our online coursework, the support services we provide for students and our comprehensive learning management system.To ensure that early childhood education professionals have current knowledge and skills to work with young children and families, the Council for Professional Recognition requires that the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential TM be renewed every three years.
Purchase the CDA Renewal coursework
Steps to Renew the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential
- Purchase a CDA Renewal Packet from the Council. The packet includes the information and documents you need to begin your CDA renewal application, including the application form, recommendation form and waiver request form.
- Gather required documentation. All renewal candidates must meet the following five criteria:
- Documented proof of a current Red Cross or other agency Pediatric First Aid Certificate, which must include (1) treatment for blocked airway and (2) rescue breathing for infants and young children.
- Documented proof of at least 4.5 continuing education units (CEUs) or a three-credit-hour course in early childhood education/child development, principles of adult learning, mental health counseling, etc. These hours must be in addition to the original 120 clock-hours completed to obtain the CDA credential. Bilingual CDAs must meet this requirement with coursework incorporating bilingual issues.
- Documented proof of a minimum of 80 hours of work experience within the past year. This should be a letter on official letterhead from a supervisor. See example.
- A completed Letter of Recommendation Form regarding the CDA candidate's competence with young children prepared by an early childhood education (ECE) reviewer. The ECE reviewer must meet Council eligibility requirements..
- Documented proof of current membership in a national or local early childhood professional organization. For a list of such organizations, see the Council's website.
- Apply for the CDA renewal. Once you meet all of the requirements, you are ready to fill out and submit your CDA renewal application. You may submit your renewal application no sooner than 90 days before your credential expiration date.
Purchase the CDA Renewal coursework
