Understanding the CDA in Education: A Comprehensive Guide

The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is a nationally recognized certification for early childhood educators, validating their skills and knowledge in working with children from birth to age five. It is issued by the Council for Professional Recognition. More than just a piece of paper, a CDA certificate is a professional stepping stone that demonstrates a commitment to providing high-quality, developmentally appropriate care and education. Many employers require or strongly prefer candidates with a CDA.

What is a CDA Credential?

In childcare, CDA stands for Child Development Associate. It is an opportunity for educators working with children from birth to age 5 to demonstrate and strengthen their knowledge, understanding, and practices when teaching in early education. Not only is passing the CDA test a key part of advancing within early childhood education, but it is also a major professional development learning experience and essential resource moving into the field.

The Child Development Associate Credential is based on a core set of standards set to evaluate and prepare early childhood educators as they work to enter the professional world. Not only is it valuable for professional development, but it can also be a key piece of becoming a qualified, exceptional teacher to young children.

Those who earn their Child Development Associate Credential have mastered the CDA certification standards and have a deep understanding of why these learned practices will help children move more successfully and smoothly from one developmental stage to the next. Child Development Associates have a grasp on each aspect of a child’s development, including emotional, social, physical, and intellectual, and strive to help them grow through the stages of development more effortlessly.

The CDA® is based on a core set of competency standards that guide early childhood professionals toward becoming qualified educators of young children. CDAs have knowledge of how to put the CDA Competency Standards into practice and an understanding of why those standards help children move with success from one developmental stage to another. CDA’s know how to nurture the emotional, physical, intellectual, and social development of children.

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Who is Eligible for a CDA Certificate?

You’re eligible for a CDA certificate if you’re an early childhood educator looking to grow your knowledge and skills in early childhood education and develop your career.

Steps to Earning a CDA Certificate

If you’re wondering how to earn a CDA certificate, the process includes a series of structured steps designed to ensure that early childhood educators are well-prepared, experienced, and qualified to support young learners. The time it takes to earn a CDA certificate can vary depending on your schedule and training format.

Educational Foundation: To begin, you must hold a high school diploma or GED. You’ll also need to choose a CDA setting that aligns with your career goals. You will need to pick an age/setting group at the start of the training. The requirement will center on the age/setting group you pick (birth-5yr).
CDA Training: You must complete at least 120 hours of formal Early childhood education training in the appropriate age group and at least 10 hours in each subject area through a verified early childhood education training program. The NCCC 120-hour training is $1800.
Hands-On Experience: You must also complete 480 hours of hands-on experience working with children in your chosen CDA setting. Within 3 years of submitting your CDA application, you must obtain 480 hours of professional work experience in your applied child care setting. With brightwheel's staff scheduling software you can easily create and modify schedules and track employee hours accurately.
Professional Portfolio Development: Within six months of submitting your application, you must complete a professional portfolio that showcases your teaching philosophy, competency statements, resource materials, and family feedback questionnaires. A professional portfolio is a required part of the CDA credentialing process. A heavy-duty 2-inch three-ring binder is required for your portfolio.
- Your professional portfolio must include documentation of your education, including your CDA-approved training and college transcripts.
- The council will also need family questionnaires. This is a form with questions and answers collected from some of the families of the children you’ve worked with. A return from more than 50% of families is required.
- Also, include a collection of resources for early childhood learning and Ten (10) Resources.
- Also, include a summary of all your professional values and beliefs on early childhood education.
- In addition, you’ll need six reflective written statements of competence (about 300-500 words). You will need to submit a Professional Portfolio along the road to earning your CDA. According to Child Care Aware, your Professional Portfolio needs to include: My CDA Professional Portfolio cover sheet. Summary of CDA Education cover sheet plus documentation of your CDA training and education such as official training record or college transcript, certificates, or other verification that you have successfully completed a minimum of 120 hours of training with no fewer than 10 clock hours of training in each of the eight CDA subject areas. Family Questionnaires Summary sheet plus completed Family Questionnaires, a form you distribute and collect back from the majority of the families of children in your care (a return from more than 50% of families is required). Six Reflective Statements of Competence: Written statements of your own teaching practices, including one for each of the six CDA Competency Standards (300-500 words in length). Resource Collection: A specific collection of early childhood resources. Professional Philosophy Statement: A written summary of your professional beliefs and values about early childhood education, how young children learn, and your role as an early childhood educator (no more than two pages in length).
Verification Visit: Once the Council for Professional Recognition has reviewed the application, a PDS will conduct a Verification Visit. During the Verification Visit, the PDS will conduct the R.O.R. A PD Specialist will observe you in your classroom setting, review your portfolio, and assess your competency. After you apply to the Council of Professional Recognition, you will schedule your exam and your CDA Verification Visit (Observation). An approved specialist will visit your workplace to observe your interactions with children in a specific age group. The specialist will then sit down with you to review your strengths and areas of improvement. They will also review your Professional Portfolio.
CDA Exam: Next, you’ll complete the CDA exam, a 65-question multiple-choice test administered at an approved Pearson VUE testing center. You’ll receive your score within three business days. The CDA Exam is a component of the credentialing process. The exam is a 65-question, computer-based exam that is taken at a local Pearson VUE testing site. The CDA Exam questions will test the candidate’s knowledge of basic early childhood best practices based on the CDA Competency Goals and the thirteen Functional Areas.
Application Review: After passing the exam and completing your verification visit, the Council for Professional Recognition will review your complete application.

CDA Competency Standards and Functional Areas

Each credential type focuses on six Competency Standards and thirteen Functional Areas. With the application, candidates submit documentation of 120 hours of formal Early childhood education training in the appropriate age group, 480 hours of professional experience in the appropriate age group, formal observation by a Council for Professional Recognition certified Professional Development Specialist (PDS), CDA examination, and a statement of ethical conduct.

Cost of Obtaining a CDA Certificate

While a CDA certificate will benefit you in many ways, getting this credential can be costly for some. New credentials are $425 for online applications and $500 for paper applications. Starting on August 1, 2025 the Council is increasing prices to $525 for online applications and $600 for paper applications. The fee to apply for your CDA exam and assessment is $425. This includes a review of your Professional Portfolio and Verification Visit.

Settings for CDA Credential Holders

With a CDA credential, you can confidently work in a variety of early care and education settings with children from birth to five years old. The Council for Professional Recognition defines a center-based preschool as a state-approved child development center with at least 10 children enrolled and at least two educators working with children on a regular basis.

Important Dates

The training runs from June 23 to October 31, 2025.

History of the CDA Credential

In 1985, ACYF, in cooperation with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), created a separate non-profit organization for the administration of the CDA Credential. The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition was founded to administer the CDA program.

In May 2012, the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition announced that the CDA Credential process would be updated to include a self-paced online application process and proctored examinations at Pearson VUE testing centers. In 2012, the program was expanded to include GED holders and for high school students enrolled in early educational career-technical and family consumer science programs.

Benefits of Earning a CDA Credential

There are many benefits of going through the process to apply for and earn a CDA Credential. These benefits are not only professional, however. There are also many personal benefits of earning a CDA Credential. A few of the many benefits can be seen listed below.

Entrance and exposure to a large community of qualified, hard-working early childhood educators and professionals.
Advancement of your career both personally and professionally.
Increases personal confidence and capabilities as an early childhood educator.
Helps to meet and often surpass job requirements.
Shows hard-work, persistence, and dedication to the early childhood profession.
Increases trust and confidence within parents who entrust their children with you.
Gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of developmentally essential practices and teachings
And so much more!

CDA Credential Training with CCEI

Practices and understandings within the early childhood education realm are constantly evolving and improving. With the Child Development Associate Credential training program with CCEI, you can build a professional foundation and strengthen your personal capabilities to prepare you for a career in early childhood education and continue to guide you moving forward. CCEI’s Child Development Associate Credential Certification Program will undoubtedly prepare ECE professionals educationally, professionally, personally, and in many other ways to provide and implement quality early childhood education practices and teachings. Meaning you will undoubtedly be prepared educationally, professionally, personally, and in any other means to provide and implement quality early childhood education practices and teachings.

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How Long Does It Take to Get a Child Development Associates Certificate?

The timeline to get your CDA is flexible, but it normally takes less time than an Associates degree. Earning your certificate is also usually cheaper than taking college courses or earning a college degree.

Typically, child care professionals sign up for a training course, which can vary in length. These training courses help prepare you for the exam, purchase the study book(s), earn your required professional development hours, build your portfolio binder, and much more.

You receive your CDA once you’ve passed your exam, completed your 120 hours of professional development, passed the review of your Professional Portfolio, and passed your Verification Visit.

Renewing Your Certification

Those who earn a CDA will need to renew their certification every three years. To renew your CDA Credential, the cost is $150 for paper applications.

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