CDA Council for Professional Recognition

CDA Council for Professional Recognition We give early childhood teachers the certification (CDA) and support they need to give all young children the quality care and education they deserve.

Over the past 49 years, we have issued over 1,000,000 CDA credentials. Nonpartisan. The Child Development Associate® (CDA) is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE) and is a key stepping stone on the path of career advancement in ECE. The CDA credential is based on a core set of Competency Standards, which guide early care professionals as they work toward becomin

g qualified teachers of young children. CDAs have knowledge of how to put the CDA Competency Standards into practice and understanding of why those Standards help children move with success from one developmental stage to another. Over the past 45 years, we have issued over 800,000 CDA credentials to educators in Preschool, Infant/Toddler, Family Child Care and Home Visitor settings, including to those who have earned their CDA through high school programs.

What happens when a state decides to fund real pathways into early childhood education, instead of just talking about th...
08/31/2026

What happens when a state decides to fund real pathways into early childhood education, instead of just talking about the shortage?

Maine just answered that question. The state's Department of Education and Department of Labor announced nearly $500,000 in Career Pathways funding this week, and two of the three new pilot programs lead straight to a CDA® credential. High school students at North Haven Community School and adult learners through Lewiston Adult Education will get advising, work-based learning, and support to earn their CDA, opening doors into classrooms that need them.

North Haven is a small island community. Programs like this are exactly how rural and underserved areas start closing the workforce gap, one funded, supported pathway at a time.

We love seeing states put resources behind the credential we know works.

See how the Council supports pathways like this: https://bit.ly/4x15VIt

To renew your CDA®, you must be a current member of an ECE professional organization. If you need one, the Council's ECE...
08/26/2026

To renew your CDA®, you must be a current member of an ECE professional organization. If you need one, the Council's ECE Organizations directory makes it easy to find one.

If your CDA lapsed, our Renewal Amnesty gives you a path back, open now through April 2027: https://bit.ly/3SLzw9E

Before Jeff Klemm became Mr. Jeff, the children's musician, he taught preschool in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and earned his ...
08/25/2026

Before Jeff Klemm became Mr. Jeff, the children's musician, he taught preschool in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and earned his CDA® to improve his work.

He started bringing his guitar to class for fun. Now he performs at schools, libraries, and concert venues nationwide, and every song still carries what he learned while earning his credential.

"The secret sauce of my songs is that they cover the social, emotional, and cognitive areas that I learned about while earning my CDA," Jeff says.

Read his full story: https://bit.ly/4y0963c

Your $250 CDA® renewal fee doesn't have to come out of your own pocket. If your employer or program sponsors renewals, a...
08/24/2026

Your $250 CDA® renewal fee doesn't have to come out of your own pocket. If your employer or program sponsors renewals, a voucher number can cover it.

If your CDA lapsed, our Renewal Amnesty gives you a path back, open now through April 2027: https://bit.ly/3SLzw9E

Another CDA® earned. Another educator ready to show up for the children and families who need them most.Let's congratula...
08/20/2026

Another CDA® earned. Another educator ready to show up for the children and families who need them most.

Let's congratulate her in the comments on this milestone!

"The way you respond to a child's emotions could be life-changing for them."Melissa Williamson has spent nearly 30 years...
08/19/2026

"The way you respond to a child's emotions could be life-changing for them."

Melissa Williamson has spent nearly 30 years in early childhood education, and today she leads At the Heart of Teaching, Learning, & Leadership, where she trains educators in trauma-informed practice and helps around 170 educators a year earn their CDA®.

Her approach starts with a simple idea: to help children understand their feelings, educators have to understand their own first.

Read her full story: https://bit.ly/3SippJn

Robin May earned her CDA® before she even graduated high school. Now she is a national award winner.May, an educator at ...
08/18/2026

Robin May earned her CDA® before she even graduated high school. Now she is a national award winner.

May, an educator at Cummins Child Development Center in Columbus, Indiana, just received the Bright Horizons Janice Hill Award, given to standout early childhood teachers nationwide.

Her path began through something the Council calls High School Pathways, a way for students to start earning their CDA while still in school. Robin's story shows exactly where that path can lead.

As reported by The Republic (Columbus, IN): https://bit.ly/4wvztg4

Learn about High School Pathways: https://bit.ly/4x15VIt

Hashtags:

Renewing your CDA® is simpler than people think. You need training documentation, proof of membership in an ECE organiza...
08/17/2026

Renewing your CDA® is simpler than people think. You need training documentation, proof of membership in an ECE organization, and a letter verifying your work experience. No exam, no portfolio required.

If your CDA lapsed, our Renewal Amnesty gives you a path back, open now through April 2027. https://bit.ly/3SLzw9E

Paid work-based learning. Mentorship. A real pathway to a credential.That's what Keiki O Ka 'Aina has built in Hawai'i t...
08/14/2026

Paid work-based learning. Mentorship. A real pathway to a credential.

That's what Keiki O Ka 'Aina has built in Hawai'i through their Apprenticeship Program, and they're joining us to share how they did it.

You'll hear how the program combines academic coursework with hands-on experience, how their partnership with Honolulu Community College supports sustainable compensation for participants, and what it takes to build a CDA® expansion strategy that actually works for a community.

August 26 at 3:00 PM ET | Register: https://bit.ly/4z8CDZQ

For many families, the most important support they receive happens at home, delivered by a trained, trusted professional...
08/14/2026

For many families, the most important support they receive happens at home, delivered by a trained, trusted professional.

Evidence-based home visiting strengthens families during a child's earliest and most critical years. The professionals who do this work, home visitors, need real preparation and ongoing development to do it well, which is exactly what the Home Visitor CDA® Credential is built around.

Read more about why this work matters and the workforce initiatives supporting it:

https://bit.ly/45ZW8q8

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