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4.8: Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential

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    Many early childhood professionals pursue the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential as a way of demonstrating their knowledge and expertise in working with children ages birth through five years of age. The CDA credential was first awarded in 1975 and has been administered by the Council for Professional Preparation since 1985 (Council for Professional Recognition, n.d.).

    To be eligible to apply for a CDA Credential a candidate must (Council for Professional Recognition, n.d.):

    • have a high school diploma or be a junior/senior in early education/child development Career and Technical Program
    • complete 120 clock hours of professional education in the eight CDA Subject Areas
    • document 480 hours of experience working with young children
    • prepare a CDA Professional Portfolio according to the requirements outlined in the CDA Competency Standards book

    To obtain the CDA Credential, an early childhood professional is observed, compiles evidence in a portfolio, and takes an exam. The CDA Credential is tailored to the following types of programs: infant-toddler, preschool, family child care, and home visitors. The EC professional must renew their CDA Credential every three years.

    The CDA Credential targets the following subject areas:

    1. Safe and healthy learning environments
    2. Children's physical and intellectual development
    3. Children's social and emotional development
    4. Relationships with Families
    5. Managing effective programs
    6. Professionalism
    7. Observation and recording of children's behavior
    8. Principles of child development and learning

    References

    Council for Professional Recognition (n.d.). About the Council. Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://www.cdacouncil.org/en/about/

    Council for Professional Recognition (n.d.). CDA Credentialing Program FAQs. Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://www.cdacouncil.org/faqs/#app...or-cda-renewal

    4.8: Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.