• To improve the quality of early childhood care and education, in child care centers and family child care homes.
  
• To increase the educational level of child care givers.
  
• To increase compensation of child care givers.
  
• To decrease the turnover rate of child care providers.
  
• To promote individual professional development.
  
• To create a model of partnership for improving the quality of Kansas child care programs.

• A minimum number of hours of employment in a licensed or registered early childhood program is required.
  
• A high school diploma or GED
  
• Make a wage of less than $14.45 per hour.
  
• Do not currently hold a degree in Early Childhood Education.
  
  The educational level of his/her caregivers is one of the most critical indicators of the quality of a child's experience in child care. The project assists caregivers in going back to school to gain more education. The project also addresses two important issues: the low wage of child care providers, and the high turnover rate in the child care field. These issues are addressed by increasing compensation to caregivers with more education and requiring participants to remain in child care for an additional time period following their training.
  

The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition operates the Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialing program as a major national effort to improve the quality of child care. Focusing on the skills of the child care providers, the program is designed to provide performance-based training, assessment, and credentialing of  child care staff, family child care providers, and home visitors.

Goals for competency in child care through CDA

• To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment
• To advance physical and intellectual competence
• To support social and emotional development and to provide positive guidance
• To establish positive and productive relationships with families
• To ensure a well run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs
• To maintain a commitment to professionalism

Do you qualify as a CDA Candidate?
Personal Requirements

• Be 18 years or older
• Hold a high school diploma or the equivalent
• Be able to speak, read, and write well enough to fulfill the responsibility of a CDA Candidate
• Sign a statement of ethical conduct

Educational Requirements

1. Have 120 hours of formal child care training taken in the last five years from an agency or organization with expertise in early childhood teacher preparation
2. Training must consist of at least 10 hours in each of eight subject areas:

• Plan a safe, healthy learning environment
• Steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development
• Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development
• Strategies to manage an effective program option
• Strategies to establish positive relationships with families
• Maintaining a commitment to professionalism
• Observing and recording children's behavior
• Principles of child growth and development 

Experience Requirements

1. Must have 480 hours of experience within the last  five years working with children in the designated setting in which you are applying for credentialing 

Setting Requirements
Choose one of these settings: (bilingual options available)

• Center-Based Preschool
• Center-Based Infant/Toddler
• Family Child Care Home
• Home Visitor

Steps in the CDA Process

1. Meet eligibility requirements
2. Apply for an information packet from the Council
3. Prepare documentation:

• Formal observation by eligible CDA advisor
• Written competency statements and autobiography
• Professional resource collection
• Parent opinion questionnaires

5. Submit Direct Assessment Application with assessment fee to the Council 
6. Be visited by CDA representative for the early childhood studies review and oral  interview
7. Be notified of Council scores of assessment