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CDA Application and Requirements

The Child Development Associate credential (CDA) is a national credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition to individuals who have successfully completed the CDA assessment process. Earning the CDA credential has many advantages, including motivating caregivers toward continuing education and providing a platform for professional and career opportunities in Early Childhood Development.

Where Do I Start?

Contact the Council for Professional Recognition and request a CDA application packet. The application packet contains important information and materials needed to complete the CDA credentialing process. The application packet must be filled out before starting the final CDA assessment process. The Council's Web site shares important CDA information. You may contact the Council at:

The Council for Professional Recognition
2460 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009-3575
800-424-4310
www.cdacouncil.org

CDA Requirements

There are six stages in the CDA Assessment System:

1. Inquiry (personal, setting, experience and education)

Personal - Be 18 or older, hold a high school diploma, be able to speak, read and write well enough to fulfill responsibilities of a CDA candidate

Setting/Experience - 480 hours of experience working with children within the last five years in a setting that is state approved and where the candidate can be observed working as a lead teacher (in the setting chosen to receive CDA credential)

Education - Candidates must have completed within the past five years 120 clock hours of formal child care education Click for more information

2. Collection of Documentation - The candidate must present evidence of competence through written documentation: Professional Resource File, Parent Opinion Questionnaires, CDA Assessment Observation, Situational Assessment/Oral Interview and Early Childhood Studies Review. Click for more information

3. Application Process - After the candidate and advisor have completed their information collection responsibilities, the candidate fills out all parts of the application form. Both advisor and candidate sign and it is returned to the Council to prepare for final assessment system/verification visit.

4. CDA Final Assessment System/Verification Visit - The Council administers a written examination test (Studies Review), Situation Assessment/Oral Interview, and checks the Professional Resource File. The Council of Professional Recognition reviews results. Click for more information

5. Credential Award - A committee from the Council of Professional Recognition conducts a review of the candidate's documentation of competence and makes a decision regarding credential award.

6. Credential Renewal - A CDA Credential is valid for three years from the date of award, after which it may be renewed for five-year periods.

CDA Waivers - The Council of Professional Recognition will consider waiving certain eligibility requirements if an individual provides a written explanation and supporting documentation for the request. All such requests would be sent directly to the Council BEFORE submitting an application. Details regarding the waiver may be found in the CDA Assessment System and Competency Standards book.

All details about the CDA assessment are available at www.cdacouncil.org

Additional Requirement Information

CDA Training Requirement - The eligibility requirement for CDA candidates to have 120 clock hours of formal child care education may be met through participation in the wide variety of training available in the field, including in-service. While the formal education hours can be credit or noncredit, the hours must be through an agency or organization with expertise in early childhood teacher preparation. The agency or organization must provide verification of the candidate's education in the form of a transcript, certificate, or letter.

Better Kid Care offers professional development through Distance Education lessons that meet the formal education requirements. To learn more visit the Distance Education page.
The 120 clock hours of education must be documented, with no fewer than 10 hours in each of the following content areas:

CDA 1: Planning a safe, healthy environment to invite learning
CDA 2: Steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development
CDA 3: Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development
CDA 4: Strategies to establish productive relationships with families
CDA 5: Strategies to manage an effective program operation
CDA 6: Maintaining a commitment to professionalism
CDA 7: Observing and recording children's behavior
CDA 8: Principles of child development and learning

CDA Documentation - CDA candidates must submit documents that verify their competence in early child care and education. These include:

A Professional Resource File - a collection of 17 specific reference materials related to candidate's work. (Instructions are in CDA Packet and the CDA Assessment System and Competency Standards book).
Parent Opinion Questionnaires - Feedback from parents with children in the candidate's classroom or family child care home. Each parent with a child in the candidate's care will complete a questionnaire. The information is confidential and is placed into sealed envelopes. (Questionnaires are provided in the application packet).

CDA Assessment Observation Instrument - The purpose of the observation is to rate a candidate’s skill in specific performance areas, as stated in the CDA Assessment System and Competency Standards book. This is done by a registered CDA advisor for a minimum of three hours (advisor qualifications can be found in the CDA Assessment System and Competency Standards book). The advisor visit(s) need to be completed within six months of applying for assessment. The Observation (once completed) is returned to you in a sealed envelope and kept until the Assessment visit. To locate an advisor in your area, contact the Council for Professional Recognition 800-424-4310 and request the Advisor Registry.
Oral Interview/Situational Assessment Questions - The Oral Interview/Situational Assessment provides an opportunity for candidates to show how the knowledge they have acquired through experience and training would be applied in a variety of early childhood settings. Consisting of 10 structured "situations" specific to the candidate’s setting, age-level endorsement and specialization.
Early Childhood Studies Review/Written Assessment - The Early Childhood Studies Review is a written examination designed to measure general knowledge of good practices in early childhood education programs serving young children. (Multiple-choice examination averaging 2 1/2 hours, administered by a Council Representative)

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