Is a CDA credential worth it? An honest look at the cost and payoff

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is a CDA credential, and who gives it out?

The Child Development Associate credential is issued by the Council for Professional Recognition, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. that has credentialed more than 500,000 early childhood professionals since 1975 ^[1]. It is not a college degree. It is a competency-based certification that says you can do the job, judged through verified training hours, observed practice, and a written exam.

The Council sets one national standard. States decide whether and how they require it or reward it. That gap between "national credential" and "your state actually cares" is where most of the worth-it math gets done.

There are six credential types: Center-Based, Family Child Care, Home Visitor, Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and a bilingual specialization. Each has the same core requirements but a different setting. If you run a licensed family child care home, the Family Child Care CDA is your track. Center teachers usually pursue the Center-Based setting. You can hold more than one, and plenty of experienced providers do.

For more on the application process itself, see our full guide to the cda credential.

What does a CDA credential actually require?

The credential has three parts, and all three have to be done before you can sit for the exam ^[1].

First: 120 clock hours of formal early childhood education training, spread across eight CDA subject areas like health and safety, curriculum, and family and community partnerships. At least 10 hours must go to each area. Online courses count. Community college courses count. State-approved training organizations count.

Second: 480 hours of experience working with children in the age group and setting that matches your credential type. This has to happen within the three years before you apply. If you already work full-time in a licensed program, you may hit this faster than you think.

Third: a Professional Portfolio, a collection of work samples and written statements of competence you submit to the Council. A CDA Advisor, usually an early childhood faculty member or program director, has to observe you working with children for at least two hours and sign off on the portfolio.

The Verification Visit happens at your site. A CDA Professional Development Specialist from the Council schedules it after your application is approved. The exam is 65 multiple-choice questions delivered on computer at a Pearson VUE testing center ^[1].

Here is the timeline in practice. Most people take six to twelve months. If you knock out training hours quickly and already have the work experience, four to five months is doable. Spreading it over a year while working is more common.

How much does a CDA credential cost?

The Council for Professional Recognition charges $425 for first-time applicants (as of the 2024 fee schedule) and $150 for renewal ^[1]. That is only the Council fee.

Add training and the real number climbs. Community college courses for 120 hours of training typically run $300 to $900 depending on the state and school. Online-only CDA prep packages from approved providers range from $150 to $450. Using a CDA Advisor through a formal coaching program can add another $100 to $300.

Budget realistically for $700 to $1,800 all-in for a first-time credential once training is in the mix. Some providers land at the low end using free or subsidized training. Some pay more if they take in-person college courses for credit.

A few things cut that cost hard. Many states use Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Quality Set-Aside dollars to reimburse CDA fees or pay for training directly ^[2]. Some states, including Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas, run scholarship programs through their Child Care Resource and Referral networks that cover the full Council application fee. Call your local CCR&R before you pay a dollar out of pocket.

Cost item	Low estimate	High estimate
Council application fee	$425	$425
Training (120 hours)	$150	$900
CDA Advisor / coaching	$0	$300
Testing travel / misc	$25	$75
Total, first-time	$600	$1,700
Renewal (every 3 years)	$150	$350

Does a CDA actually increase your pay?

This is the question most people actually mean when they ask "is it worth it." The honest answer: usually yes, but rarely by a lot, and the size depends almost entirely on your state and employer.

Child Care Aware of America's 2023 report found the median hourly wage for childcare workers nationally was $13.71, against $14.60 for preschool teachers, a gap that tracks with credential and education levels ^[3]. That is not a big number on its own. But a dollar-per-hour raise adds up to roughly $2,000 a year for a full-time worker, and the CDA is one of the smaller investments that can trigger it.

The bigger pay mechanism for most licensed providers is the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) in their state. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia had active QRIS systems as of 2022 ^[4]. In nearly all of them, staff credentials including the CDA raise a program's quality rating, which raises the subsidy reimbursement rate. In some states that differential runs 10 to 20 percent above the base rate. If you serve families using childcare subsidies, that is real money.

Center directors who require a CDA for lead teachers often set a differential of $0.50 to $1.50 per hour above uncredentialed staff, based on publicly posted salary scales from programs in Illinois, Georgia, and Oregon. Nobody has published a clean nationally representative study on this specific gap. The closest data comes from state workforce surveys, which tend to find a 5 to 15 percent wage premium for credentialed versus non-credentialed staff at the same experience level.

For home-based providers, the pay mechanism is indirect: QRIS rating, subsidy rate differential, and the ability to market a credential to private-pay families comparing options.

Does your state require a CDA for licensing or compliance?

This varies more than people expect, and it shifts every few years as states rewrite licensing rules. About half of states either require a CDA or equivalent for lead teachers in licensed centers, or accept it as a qualifying credential where a degree would otherwise be needed ^[4].

Michigan, for example, requires lead teachers in licensed centers to hold at least a Child Development Associate credential or 12 credit hours in early childhood education ^[5]. In a state with that kind of rule, the CDA is not optional. It is the floor.

For family child care homes, the bar is usually lower. Most states do not require a CDA for home-based licensing. A few, including New Mexico and Colorado, build credential attainment into their tiered licensing or QRIS systems in ways that make it necessary to operate at higher quality levels or reach higher subsidy rates.

The place to check your specific state is your licensing agency. The Office of Child Care, inside the federal Administration for Children and Families, keeps a compendium of state licensing regulations that is updated periodically ^[4]. It is not always current, so confirm with your licensor directly.

If you are in Michigan, our michigan daycare licensing guide walks through the credential requirements there in more detail.

States that tie CDA completion to subsidy eligibility or QRIS bonuses are a different case. There, skipping the credential does not bar you from operating, but it costs you money in lower reimbursement rates. That math can be more compelling than any wage bump.

How does the CDA connect to childcare subsidies and CCDF funding?

The Child Care and Development Fund is the federal block grant that funds childcare subsidies for low-income families in all 50 states ^[2]. States have wide latitude in how they hand out that money, and many use it to reward quality, including staff credentials.

The CCDF final rule, last substantially updated in 2016, requires states to use Quality Set-Aside funds to support professional development, which includes credentialing ^[10]. In practice, states use CCDF dollars to reimburse your CDA application fee, pay for training, or raise reimbursement rates for programs that employ credentialed staff.

The subsidy rate differential is where this gets meaningful. Picture a licensed family child care provider in a state with a four-tier QRIS. Say she gets $28 per child per day at tier 1 and $33 at tier 3, where at least one credentialed staff member is required to reach tier 3. That five-dollar gap, across five subsidized children, five days a week, is about $6,500 a year. The $425 application fee pays back inside the first month.

Not every state runs the math this cleanly. Some have underfunded QRIS systems where the tier differentials are small or paid inconsistently. You have to look at your own state's rates. Your CCR&R (Child Care Resource and Referral agency) can hand you the subsidy rate table and tell you what each QRIS tier requires. Child Care Aware of America keeps a state-by-state resource finder ^[3].

For the bigger picture on how subsidies work, see our guide to childcare subsidy.

What are the real career benefits beyond the pay bump?

Pay is not the only reason people pursue the CDA, and for some providers it is not even the main one.

Licensing compliance is the hard reason for center staff in states that require it. If your state mandates a CDA or equivalent for lead teachers, you cannot stay in the role without one. That is a job prerequisite, not a career perk.

Career mobility matters too. A CDA does not transfer cleanly to a higher-education path the way college credits do, but some community colleges grant credit for prior learning that recognizes the CDA, shaving a semester or more off an associate degree. If you eventually want a director or program administrator role, most state rules require at least an associate degree in early childhood, and the CDA is a documented starting point that says you are already moving that way.

Professional credibility is real even if it is hard to measure. When parents compare home-based providers, "CDA Credentialed" on a profile or a sign sets you apart. Childcare comparison sites and local CCR&R referral databases often let families filter by credential. Being on that list puts you in front of parents you would never otherwise reach.

The portfolio and training carry actual instructional value. The 120 hours cover curriculum, child development, family communication, and health and safety. Providers who take the process seriously often come out with better classroom management habits and a clearer sense of how to document their program. That pays off even when no one hands you a raise for it.

If you serve families who use the childcare tax credit or subsidy programs, being listed as a credentialed provider in state databases can move your referrals and enrollment directly.

Who should probably get the CDA, and who should skip it?

Get it if your state requires it for your role. That is the easiest call. No credential means no license compliance, which means no job.

Get it if your state's QRIS ties a meaningful subsidy rate differential to credentialed staff and you serve a real share of subsidized children. Run the math: multiply the rate differential by your subsidized enrollment by 50 weeks. If it clears $1,500, the CDA pays back in under a year.

Get it if you plan to stay in early childhood education for more than five years and want a documented professional track. The CDA is recognized nationally, it renews every three years, and it sits on a resume in a way a folder of workshop certificates does not.

Skip it or push it down the list if you run a home-based program in a state that does not require it, you serve zero subsidized children, and you have no plan to move into a center role. In that exact scenario the credential has real but mostly indirect value. You might get a bigger enrollment lift by putting the same time and money into a solid curriculum framework.

Skip it and go straight for a degree if you are already partway through an associate degree in early childhood. Most associate programs cover everything the CDA covers and more, and the degree carries more weight for director licensing and higher pay scales.

Honest caveat. Nobody has solid nationally representative data on exactly how much the CDA raises take-home income for home-based providers specifically, as opposed to center staff. The workforce surveys that exist tend to lump all early childhood credentials together or focus on center workers. Be skeptical of anyone who quotes you a precise dollar figure for home providers.

How does the CDA compare to other early childhood credentials?

The CDA sits at the entry level of a ladder that runs from no credential up through a doctoral degree in early childhood.

Credential	Time to complete	Typical cost	Licensing relevance	Recognized nationally?
CDA	6-12 months	$600-$1,700	High in many states	Yes
State-issued credential	3-6 months	$0-$500	Medium, state-specific	No
Associate degree (ECE)	1.5-2 years	$5,000-$20,000	High for directors	Yes
Bachelor's degree (ECE)	4 years	$30,000-$80,000	Required for some director roles	Yes
National Board (ECYA)	2-3 years	$1,900	Low for licensing	Yes

State-issued credentials, like the Texas School-Ready credential or North Carolina's child care credentials, run cheaper and sometimes faster, but they do not transfer if you move states. The CDA follows you.

The associate degree is the next rung up. It costs a lot more and takes longer, but it qualifies you for director roles in most states and opens higher pay brackets. If you have the CDA and want to keep climbing, the associate degree is the natural next step, not a competing choice.

National Board Certification in Early Childhood through Adolescence exists but is aimed at school-based teachers. It costs $1,900 and the process takes one to three years. It rarely touches daycare licensing compliance.

If you are thinking about curriculum alongside credentials, our resources on preschool curriculum and specific frameworks like creative curriculum for preschool or montessori preschool curriculum go alongside what CDA training covers.

What does the CDA renewal process look like?

The CDA credential is valid for three years from the date it is awarded ^[1]. Renewal takes 45 hours of continuing education in early childhood, a current portfolio, and the $150 renewal fee. You do not retake the written exam.

The 45 hours must be completed within the three years before your renewal application. Most providers who stay active in their programs pile these up through the annual training their state licensing office already mandates. Many states require 15 to 20 hours of continuing education a year regardless, so the CDA renewal overlaps with work you are already doing.

Let the credential lapse by more than three years and you have to run the full initial process again. That is an expensive mistake. Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your expiration date.

The Council allows a grace period. If you apply for renewal before the expiration date, your credential stays active while the application is processed. Do not wait until the last week.

How do you find free or subsidized CDA training and fee help?

Start with your state's Child Care Resource and Referral agency. Every state has a CCR&R network, and most either offer free training directly, point you to free training, or administer scholarship funds that cover CDA fees. Child Care Aware of America keeps a CCR&R finder at childcareaware.org ^[3].

If you receive CCDF-funded subsidies as a provider, your state's CCDF agency has to spend a Quality Set-Aside of at least 9 percent of its annual allotment on quality improvement, which includes workforce development ^[2]. That money often flows through CCR&R agencies, community colleges, or TEACH Early Childhood scholarship programs.

TEACH Early Childhood, operating in about 25 states, provides scholarships built specifically for child care workers pursuing credentials and degrees. Where it operates, it can cover the full Council application fee plus training costs. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers tracks which states have TEACH programs ^[6].

Community colleges often run free or low-cost CDA prep workshops, especially the ones with Early Childhood Education departments recruiting continuing education students. Some Title I school districts also offer free professional development for affiliated early childhood providers.

If your program takes part in Head Start or Early Head Start, it is federally required to support staff credential attainment, which can include paid release time and covered fees ^[7].

ChildCareComp's compliance toolkit includes a state-by-state checklist for finding credential funding, which spares you the afternoon of calling five agencies to piece together what is available where you are.

What do providers who have done it actually say about the experience?

No manufactured testimonials here, but the workforce research captures the sentiment. The BUILD Initiative's 2021 workforce landscape analysis found that while most early childhood professionals report finding credentialing valuable for professional growth, a real share name the time burden during the portfolio and observation phase as the hardest part, not the exam ^[8].

The portfolio is where people get stuck. Writing competency statements, gathering work samples, and coordinating with a CDA Advisor around a full work schedule eats time. Providers who plan it out, blocking two to four hours a week for portfolio work over three to four months, finish faster and with less stress than the ones cramming it into the final weeks.

The exam itself is not hard for someone who has been working in childcare for a year or more. The 65 questions draw straight from the subject areas the training hours cover. The Council publishes a Competency Standards book ^[1] that spells out exactly what the exam covers, and free practice questions from the Council make it manageable.

The observation is usually the least stressful part. The CDA Professional Development Specialist watches you do what you do every day. Providers who go in trying to perform instead of just working their normal shift tend to be more anxious than those who treat it as a regular day.

Is the CDA worth it for experienced providers who already have years of practice?

This is the most common version of the question, and the answer has more edges than it sounds. If you have ten years of experience but no formal credential, you may already be doing everything right in practice. The CDA will not teach most veteran providers much they do not know. But experience alone does not satisfy a state's credential requirement. If your state requires a CDA for your role, your years on the job are not a substitute. Full stop.

For experienced providers in states where the CDA is optional, the decision shifts to QRIS and subsidy rates, as covered above. If the quality rating differential is meaningful in your state, the credential pays for itself fast, no matter how long you have been doing the work.

The portfolio, oddly, is sometimes easier for experienced providers because they have a deep well of evidence to pull from. Writing a competency statement about supporting social-emotional development is a lot less daunting when you have five years of examples to pick.

Some veterans skip the CDA and head straight for an associate degree because they have banked enough college credits through workshops and community college courses to make the degree faster than starting a CDA from scratch. Talk to an academic advisor at your local community college before you decide. Many run prior learning assessments that credit the CDA-style training you have already done informally.

The Council also runs a renewal path for people whose CDA expired fewer than five years ago, which is a faster route back to active status than a full new application.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a CDA credential?

Most people take six to twelve months from starting training to receiving the credential. If you already have the 480 hours of work experience and can finish training quickly, four to five months is possible. The Council processes applications in about six to eight weeks after you submit, and the Verification Visit is scheduled after that. Spreading training over a year while working full-time is the most common path.

Does a CDA credential expire?

Yes. A CDA credential is valid for three years from the award date. Renewal takes 45 hours of continuing education in early childhood completed within the preceding three years, an updated portfolio, and a $150 renewal fee. You do not retake the written exam at renewal. If the credential lapses for more than three years, you must complete the full initial process again, so set a renewal reminder early.

Can you get a CDA credential online?

Partially. All 120 required training hours can be completed online through Council-approved providers. The written exam is taken at a Pearson VUE testing center in person. The Verification Visit, where a Council specialist observes you working with children, happens at your worksite in person. So the training is largely doable online, but the observation and exam require showing up in person.

Does a CDA credential count as college credit?

Not automatically. The CDA is not a college course and carries no credit hours on its own. Some community colleges do offer prior learning assessment credit for CDA holders, which can shorten an associate degree program. The amount of credit recognized varies by school. Ask the ECE department chair at your local community college before you enroll.

Is a CDA required to open a home daycare?

In most states, no. Home daycare licensing usually focuses on health, safety, and background checks rather than formal credentials. Some states tie higher QRIS quality ratings or higher childcare subsidy reimbursement rates to credential attainment, which means skipping a CDA costs you money even when it does not bar you from operating. Check your state's licensing requirements and QRIS structure specifically.

What is the difference between a CDA and an ECE associate degree?

A CDA is a competency-based credential that takes six to twelve months and costs $600 to $1,700 all-in. An associate degree in Early Childhood Education typically takes one and a half to two years and costs $5,000 to $20,000. The degree qualifies you for director roles in most states and carries more weight in higher education. The CDA is the faster, cheaper starting point, and is often required or recognized for teacher roles.

How much does a CDA raise your salary?

There is no single clean national number. State workforce surveys generally find a 5 to 15 percent wage premium for credentialed versus non-credentialed staff at similar experience levels. Child Care Aware of America's 2023 data shows the median childcare worker earns $13.71 per hour nationally, while preschool teachers, a group with higher credential attainment, earn $14.60. For many providers the bigger financial gain comes from QRIS subsidy rate differentials, not direct salary increases.

Are there scholarships to pay for the CDA credential?

Yes, in many states. CCDF Quality Set-Aside funds flow through CCR&R agencies and often cover CDA application fees or training costs. The TEACH Early Childhood scholarship program, available in about 25 states, provides direct scholarships for child care workers pursuing credentials. Start with your local CCR&R agency, which you can find through Child Care Aware of America at childcareaware.org, before paying any fees out of pocket.

Can a CDA credential help with QRIS ratings?

In most states with an active Quality Rating and Improvement System, yes. Staff credential attainment is a standard element of QRIS scoring in nearly all of the 42-plus state systems. Holding a CDA typically moves a family child care home or center up one or more quality tiers, which increases the subsidy reimbursement rate for enrolled children. The size of the reimbursement differential varies a lot by state.

What subjects does the CDA training cover?

The Council requires 120 training hours across eight subject areas: planning a safe, healthy learning environment; advancing children's physical and intellectual development; supporting social and emotional development; building productive family and community relationships; managing an effective program; maintaining a commitment to professionalism; observing and recording children's behavior; and understanding principles of child development and learning. At least 10 hours must go to each area.

Is a CDA worth it if I only plan to work in childcare for a few more years?

Probably not, unless your state requires it for licensing or you serve a large share of subsidized children where a QRIS rate bump pays back the investment fast. If you are within two to three years of leaving the field, the three-year renewal cycle does not give you enough time to pull full value from the investment unless a specific financial or compliance trigger is in play.

How is the CDA verified or checked by licensing agencies?

The Council for Professional Recognition maintains a credential verification database. State licensing agencies, parents, and employers can verify a CDA holder's status and expiration date directly through the Council's website. Some state licensing systems require providers to upload credential documentation to their licensing portal. If your credential is expired, verification will show that, so keeping it current matters at licensing inspections.

Does having a CDA help with enrollment and marketing a home daycare?

It can. Many CCR&R referral databases let parents filter providers by credential level. Being listed as a CDA-credentialed provider raises your visibility to families who seek out quality indicators. In competitive markets where parents compare multiple home-based options, a credential is a concrete, verifiable signal of professional training in a way that years of experience alone is not.

Sources

1. Council for Professional Recognition, CDA Credentialing Program: The Council has credentialed more than 500,000 professionals; application fee is $425; credential requires 120 training hours, 480 work hours, and a 65-question written exam; credential is valid for three years.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Child Care and Development Fund: CCDF requires states to spend at least 9 percent of their allotment on quality improvement activities including workforce development and credentialing.
3. Child Care Aware of America, 2023 Demanding Change Report: Median hourly wage for childcare workers nationally was $13.71; median for preschool teachers was $14.60 in 2023 data.
4. Office of Child Care, CCDF Policies Database and State Licensing Compendium: Forty-two states and D.C. had active QRIS systems as of 2022; about half of states require a CDA or equivalent for lead teachers in licensed centers.
5. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Child Care Licensing: Michigan requires lead teachers in licensed child care centers to hold at least a CDA credential or 12 credit hours in early childhood education.
6. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Rutgers University: TEACH Early Childhood scholarship programs operate in approximately 25 states and can cover CDA fees and training costs for child care workers.
7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Program Performance Standards: Head Start programs are federally required to support staff credential attainment, which can include paid release time and covered fees.
8. BUILD Initiative, Early Childhood Workforce Landscape Analysis 2021: Most early childhood professionals report finding credentialing valuable for professional growth; a significant share cite the portfolio and observation phase as the most burdensome part.
9. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Wage data for childcare workers and preschool teachers by occupation used to contextualize credential wage premiums.
10. Administration for Children and Families, Child Care and Development Fund Final Rule 2016: CCDF final rule updated in 2016 explicitly requires Quality Set-Aside funds to support professional development including credentialing.