Did you receive your Child Development Associate credential(CDA)? It is a huge achievement to get your CDA, and we would love to showcase it on your profile. However, we need to verify that you’ve obtained your CDA first. The only way to verify your CDA is to upload a copy of your CDA credential. You can scan or take a picture of your credential and upload it to your EarlyDay profile. This will ensure employers that you’ve received your CDA.
Remember, completing the training does not mean that you have you received your CDA credential. In order to receive your CDA credential you must have the following:
High School Diploma or equivalent (GED, etc) or be a high school junior in a school with an early childhood education career program
Complete 120 hours of formal early childhood education training, covering the growth and development of children in the setting you are applying your CDA in (Infant/Toddler, Preschool, Family child care, etc)
Within 3 years you must complete 480 hours of professional work experience in your CDA setting
Within 6 months, prepare your CDA professional portfolio which includes a collection of material related to your work with children, and competency statements.
A CDA credential can only be issued by the Council for Professional Development. You can enroll in a college or university to complete your training, but you must apply for your CDA credential at the Council for Professional Development.
Below is an example of what a CDA credential looks like: