What type of training do I need to apply for the CDA Credential?

The Council allows CDA candidates to use training obtained from any time in the past. Guidelines for what professional education is acceptable can be found in the CDA Competency Standards book as well as on the FAQ section on the Council’s website.

Acceptable and Unacceptable Training Sources
GO	NO
The training agency/organization must have expertise in early childhood teacher preparation. Two and four-year colleges Private training organizations Vocational or technical schools Resource and referral agencies Early childhood education programs that sponsor training (such as Head Start or the U.S. Military)	Training obtained from directors or training coordinators of programs that do not sponsor training
Training may be obtained from a single training program or from a combination of programs	Training obtained at conferences.
	Training obtained from individual consultants.
	First Aid/CPR Certification training

Candidates must complete 120 hours of formal early childhood education training, with no fewer than 10 training hours in each of the 8 Subject Areas. However, training agencies/organizations may present training hours differently. For example, training may be obtained in the form of clock hours, CEUs, college credit, etc. The Council provides the following information for converting training into clock hours:

1 CEU = 10 clock hours
1 Semester Credit = 15 clock hours
1 Quarter Credit = 10 clock hours
1 DHS Credit = 1 clock hour
1 Unit = 1 clock hour

Tips for reviewing certificates or transcripts can be found in the next section.