National CDA credential: what it is, what it costs, and how to earn it

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is the national CDA credential?

The Child Development Associate credential, almost always just called the CDA, is a nationally recognized certification that documents a childcare worker's knowledge and skills in early childhood education. The Council for Professional Recognition has issued CDAs since 1975. As of 2023 the Council reports awarding more than 500,000 credentials nationwide ^[1].

It is not a college degree. It is not a state license. Practically speaking, it is the most portable early childhood credential in the country. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia reference the CDA in their childcare licensing regulations, their QRIS quality rating systems, or both ^[2]. That portability is the main reason providers pursue it instead of, or alongside, a state-specific training certificate.

The credential comes in six settings: center-based preschool, center-based infant/toddler, family child care, home visitor, adult bilingual/multicultural, and preschool Spanish bilingual/multicultural. You apply for the one that matches where you actually work. You can hold credentials in more than one setting if you complete the requirements separately for each.

Running a licensed family childcare home? The family child care CDA is almost certainly the one that applies to you. Staffing or running a licensed center? You will likely pursue the center-based preschool or infant/toddler credential, depending on the age group your classroom serves.

Who needs a CDA, and does your state require it?

No federal law requires childcare workers to hold a CDA. The requirement, if there is one, lives in state licensing rules. Most states don't mandate a CDA outright. They use it as one pathway to meet a broader education-or-training requirement for lead teachers or directors.

Here is a typical structure. A state licensing rule might say a lead teacher in an infant room needs "an associate degree in early childhood education OR a CDA credential plus two years of experience." In that setup the CDA is an alternative, not a strict mandate. Reading your own state's licensing regulations is the only way to know exactly where it fits your situation.

Federal money is where the CDA has the most teeth. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), the main federal subsidy program for low-income families, requires states to set workforce development goals in their biennial plans. States frequently tie CDA completion to higher subsidy reimbursement rates or bonus payments under CCDF-funded quality improvement programs ^[3]. If you accept subsidy payments from families, earning a CDA may raise your reimbursement rate even where your state doesn't technically require one.

QRIS systems tie all of this together on the ground. A rating of 2 or 3 stars at most QRIS programs requires at least some staff to hold CDAs, and higher star ratings often require a higher percentage of credentialed staff. Higher ratings usually mean higher subsidy reimbursement from the state. So even where the CDA is never labeled a "requirement," not having one can cost you real money.

For a full breakdown of how subsidy rates work in your state, see our guide to childcare subsidy.

What are the eligibility requirements for the CDA?

The Council sets three baseline requirements before you can apply ^[1]:

1. A high school diploma or GED. 2. At least 480 hours of professional experience working with children in the age group and setting of your credential type, completed within the past five years. 3. At least 120 clock hours of formal early childhood education training covering the eight CDA subject areas, completed within the past five years.

The 120 training hours must address all eight areas the Council specifies: planning a safe and healthy learning environment; advancing children's physical and intellectual development; supporting children's social and emotional development; building productive relationships with families; managing an effective program; maintaining a commitment to professionalism; observing and recording children's behavior; and understanding principles of child development. You don't need the same number of hours in each area, but the Council's verifier (explained in the next section) checks that all eight are covered.

The 480 hours of experience don't have to be paid work. Volunteer hours, student teaching, or a practicum all count, as long as an adult supervisor can verify them. For family childcare providers, time spent caring for children in your own licensed home counts. Time spent caring for your own biological or adopted children does not.

Age group matters. Apply for the infant/toddler credential, and your 480 hours must be with children under 36 months. Apply for the preschool credential, and your hours must be with children ages 3 to 5. Mixed experience has to be allocated correctly across your hours log.

How does the CDA application process actually work, step by step?

The Council revised its credentialing process in 2013 and updated it again in 2021. Here is the current process for the standard Professional Development (PD) Specialist pathway, which is what most applicants use ^[1].

Step 1: Complete your training and experience. Before you even create an account with the Council, make sure you have the 480 work hours and 120 training hours documented. Keep every training certificate, course transcript, or employer letter you receive.

Step 2: Create a CDA account at the Council's website (cdacouncil.org) and submit your online application. The application fee for a new CDA as of 2024 is $425 for the standard credential ^[1]. A bilingual credential costs a bit more. Once the Council accepts your application, you have 12 months to finish the remaining steps.

Step 3: Assemble your Professional Portfolio. This is a binder, physical or digital, holding six resource collections and a reflective competency statement for each of the six CDA Competency Standards. The Council publishes a specific list of what belongs in each section in its CDA Competency Standards book, which you can download from cdacouncil.org.

Step 4: Pick a CDA Professional Development (PD) Specialist. The PD Specialist is a trained observer, usually an early childhood professional in your area, who visits your classroom or family childcare home for a verification visit. You find one through the Council's online locator tool. The Specialist reviews your portfolio, watches you work with children for at least two hours, and scores your skills against the Competency Standards. You cannot choose a current supervisor, a family member, or anyone at your own program.

Step 5: Take the CDA Exam. The exam is 65 multiple-choice questions delivered at a Pearson VUE testing center. A passing score is required. The exam is included in your application fee, but a retake costs $100 per attempt.

Step 6: The Council reviews everything you submitted (application, portfolio score from your PD Specialist, exam score, training documentation) and issues the credential if you meet all requirements. Processing usually takes four to eight weeks after all materials arrive.

For a broader look at how the CDA fits the full credentialing picture, our CDA credential overview walks through state-by-state variations.

How much does earning a CDA cost, all in?

The application fee gets the most attention, but it is only part of the total. Here is a realistic picture.

Cost item	Typical range
Council application fee (new credential)	$425
Council application fee (bilingual)	~$500
CDA Competency Standards book	$35 to $55
120 hours of training (community college, online programs, CDA Gold)	$0 to $1,200
PD Specialist observation fee (if charged)	$0 to $150
Exam retake (if needed)	$100 per attempt
Total realistic range	$460 to $1,900+

Training is where the range gets wide. Some community colleges offer the full 120-hour sequence for a few hundred dollars per course. Some online platforms charge $200 to $600 for a packaged CDA training program. A handful of community action agencies, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs), and early childhood professional development organizations offer free or subsidized training funded through CCDF quality improvement dollars. Child Care Aware of America keeps a directory of CCR&Rs that can point you toward local training ^[4].

Many states run scholarship or reimbursement programs for CDA costs specifically. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood (available in about 22 states as of 2024) is the best known: it covers tuition, books, and sometimes the application fee for childcare workers pursuing credentials ^[5]. If T.E.A.C.H. operates in your state, apply before you spend a dime out of pocket.

The credential lasts three years. Renewal costs $150 and requires 45 hours of continuing education plus documentation of ongoing work with children. That is a real recurring cost to plan for.

How long does it take to earn a CDA?

Most people who already have some training and experience in place finish in six to nine months. Starting from scratch? Twelve months is realistic.

The binding constraint for most applicants is the 120 training hours, not the experience. Full-time childcare workers rack up 480 hours of work experience in roughly three months. But finishing 120 training hours while working full time, especially in community college courses that meet twice a week, easily stretches past six months.

Once you submit your Council application, you have 12 months to finish the portfolio, schedule your observation, and pass the exam. Applicants who plan well rarely get near that deadline. The ones who run out of time usually delayed picking a PD Specialist (finding one in rural areas can genuinely take weeks) or kept revising their portfolio instead of submitting it.

One tip that saves people every time: don't wait until your 120 hours are done to start the portfolio. It's the time sink. Start writing your competency statements while you're still in training, and you won't be scrambling at the end.

What is on the CDA exam, and how hard is it?

The CDA Exam is 65 multiple-choice questions, but only 60 are scored. The other 5 are unscored pilot questions embedded throughout, and you won't know which are which. The time limit is 90 minutes, which is plenty for most test-takers ^[1].

The exam tests knowledge across the same six CDA Competency Standards your portfolio addresses. Questions are applied and scenario-based, not straight recall. A typical item describes a classroom situation and asks what the teacher should do next.

The Council does not publish a passing score as a raw number. It uses a scaled score, and candidates must meet the standard. Pass rates are not publicly reported by the Council, and I have not found independently verified pass rate data. Anecdotally, providers who completed a structured 120-hour program and reviewed the Competency Standards book pass on the first attempt at a high rate. Candidates who pieced training together without a coherent curriculum sometimes struggle.

You schedule the exam yourself through Pearson VUE's website once your Council application is accepted. Testing centers are common in metro areas. In rural states you may drive an hour or more. A remote proctoring option exists as of 2023, which the Council added specifically to fix access problems in rural areas.

Does a CDA count toward a college degree?

Sometimes, but never automatically. The CDA is not equivalent to college credit on its own. A growing number of community colleges accept it as satisfying some course requirements when you transfer into an associate degree program in early childhood education.

The specific articulation varies by school. Some community colleges grant 6 to 12 credit hours toward an ECE associate's degree if you present a current CDA. Others award no credit but waive prerequisites, letting you skip introductory courses. You have to ask each institution directly.

The American Council on Education (ACE) has evaluated the CDA in the past and recommended college credit for it, though the current status of that evaluation is worth confirming with ACE directly if it matters for your plans. The practical upside of the articulation pathway: a provider who earns a CDA, then later decides to pursue a two-year degree, avoids repeating work already done.

What is the CDA renewal process, and when does it expire?

A new CDA is valid for three years from the date of issue. Renewal is due before the expiration date printed on your credential. The Council sends reminders, but the responsibility is yours ^[1].

Renewal requires:

• A current CDA (expired credentials require a new application, not renewal)
• 45 hours of continuing education completed since your last credential was issued
• Ongoing work with children
• A completed renewal application and the $150 renewal fee

The 45 continuing education hours don't have to cover all eight subject areas the way your initial 120 did. Many providers use the renewal cycle as a reason to do a structured review of the areas where they feel weaker.

Let your CDA expire and the math gets ugly. You apply as a new applicant, pay the full $425 fee, complete 120 new training hours, retake the exam, and go through the full verification process again. Set a calendar reminder 9 months before your expiration date and start the paperwork early.

The Council does offer a grace period renewal (applying within one year after expiration) with a higher fee ($150 plus a $50 late fee as of 2024), but the requirements resemble a new application. Don't rely on it.

How does the CDA credential affect hiring, pay, and licensing requirements?

The labor market data on the CDA and wages is mixed, partly because early childhood wages are low across the board and partly because the credential is often bundled with other factors in salary studies.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median hourly wage for childcare workers nationally was $13.71 in 2022, against $18.40 for preschool teachers and $28.21 for kindergarten teachers ^[10]. The CDA sits in the middle of that landscape. It typically qualifies a worker for "lead teacher" or "head teacher" roles that pay more than aide positions, but it is rarely enough on its own to push earnings into the preschool teacher tier.

For licensing, several states explicitly accept the CDA as meeting a teacher qualification. Georgia, for one, lets a lead teacher in a licensed center meet the education requirement with a CDA plus relevant experience, as spelled out in Georgia's Rules for Child Care Learning Centers ^[6]. Michigan's licensing rules reference a CDA as one qualifying credential for group childcare home operators. For more on Michigan, see our michigan daycare licensing guide.

Directors and administrators at licensed centers usually need more than a CDA. Most state licensing rules require center directors to hold at least an associate degree in ECE or a related field. Some states accept a CDA plus years of experience as an alternative, but that is less common than for teachers.

On hiring, a CDA-credentialed applicant is meaningfully more competitive than one with only a high school diploma and general work experience. The credential signals the person has been formally assessed working with children, more than that they sat through a training program.

What training programs count toward the 120 CDA training hours?

The Council does not maintain an approved-provider list in the traditional sense. Any formal early childhood education training from an accredited institution, recognized professional organization, or training provider that covers the eight subject areas counts, as long as you can document it with a certificate, transcript, or letter.

Here are the sources that reliably work.

Community colleges: Courses in child development, early childhood curriculum, health and safety, and family engagement from an accredited two-year college are the most straightforwardly accepted. A two-course sequence often covers 60 to 90 of your 120 hours.

Online CDA training platforms: Several companies sell packaged online training built to cover all 120 hours for CDA applicants. Prices run about $200 to $600. Read reviews and confirm the platform gives certificates that list clock hours and subject areas.

CCR&R workshops: Your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency often runs free or low-cost workshops that count. These are frequently funded through CCDF quality improvement money and are the best deal in most markets.

First Aid and CPR: These usually count in the health and safety subject area, assuming they are early-childhood-specific. Standard adult First Aid/CPR counts too, though some programs prefer pediatric versions.

Conferences: Documented sessions at early childhood conferences can count, but conference hours alone rarely cover all eight subject areas.

The one thing that does not count: on-the-job experience, supervision, or informal mentoring. Those feed your 480 hours of work experience, not your 120 training hours. Two separate buckets.

Looking for structured curriculum that doubles as training material for your own development? Our guide to preschool curriculum covers the most widely used options, and our page on creative curriculum for preschool goes deeper on one of the most common center-based programs.

Are there other national early childhood credentials besides the CDA?

Yes, though the CDA is by far the most widely referenced in state licensing rules. A few others worth knowing.

The National Administrator Credential (NAC): Issued by the National Child Care Association, aimed at center directors and administrators rather than teachers. It requires more advanced education and is less commonly referenced in licensing rules, but some states accept it for director qualifications.

Associate degree in ECE: Not a credential in the strict sense, but a two-year degree from an accredited program is referenced alongside or above the CDA in most state teacher-qualification rules. It takes longer and costs more than a CDA, and it opens more doors for salary and advancement.

State-issued credentials: Many states run their own tiered credential systems parallel to the CDA. Ohio, Washington, and Pennsylvania each have well-developed state registry systems. Worth pursuing if your state has one, because they are often required for the top tiers of a QRIS rating. They are not portable across state lines the way the CDA is.

Montessori credentials: Run a Montessori-based program and the American Montessori Society (AMS) and the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) both issue their own credentials. These are respected within the Montessori community, and some states' QRIS systems recognize them, but they are not broadly referenced in general licensing rules. For more on Montessori approaches, see our page on montessori preschool curriculum.

For most childcare workers and family childcare providers in the United States, the CDA is the right first credential because of its national portability and its consistent appearance in licensing and QRIS rules. Want more later? Layering a state credential or a college degree on top makes sense.

Tracking which credentials satisfy which requirements gets complicated fast, especially if you run a center and are trying to meet requirements for several staff at once. The ChildCareComp compliance toolkit maps your state's requirements against your staff's current qualifications so you can see exactly where the gaps are.

What does the research say about whether the CDA actually improves child outcomes?

This is where honest hedging matters. The research on credentials and child outcomes is genuinely mixed, and anyone who tells you the CDA clearly improves outcomes for children is overstating the evidence.

The broader research on teacher qualifications and child outcomes does show a positive relationship, but mostly for four-year college degrees, not sub-baccalaureate credentials. A frequently cited synthesis by Zaslow and colleagues found that teacher education generally relates to quality, but the relationship is weaker for credentials and certificates than for degrees ^[7].

Research on quality rating systems, which often build in CDA requirements, is more encouraging at the program level. Studies on QRIS participation across multiple states found that higher-rated programs showed better observed quality on tools like the ECERS and CLASS ^[8]. But the CDA itself is rarely isolated as the causal factor.

What the research does show consistently: formal training covering child development and intentional teaching matters more than seat time alone. A well-designed, applied 120-hour program produces different outcomes than 120 hours of disconnected workshops. The CDA process is built around that idea. The portfolio and observation require candidates to demonstrate applied skills, more than pass a test on theory.

Nobody has clean experimental data comparing a CDA-trained and a non-CDA-trained teacher in otherwise identical classrooms. The closest the field gets is observational data from QRIS studies and program quality assessments, which consistently put credentialed teachers ahead of uncredentialed ones on process quality measures.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a CDA if I work in a family childcare home, not a center?

Yes. The Council offers a Family Child Care CDA specifically for home-based providers. The requirements match the other settings (480 hours of experience, 120 training hours, a portfolio, and the exam), but the portfolio content and the PD Specialist observation are tailored to the family childcare environment. Time you spend caring for children in your licensed home counts toward your 480 hours.

Is the CDA the same as a teaching license?

No. A CDA is a professional credential issued by a private nonprofit, the Council for Professional Recognition. A teaching license is a state-government credential required to teach in public schools. The CDA is widely accepted in licensed childcare settings and referenced in state licensing rules, but it does not qualify you to teach kindergarten through 12th grade in a public school. Those jobs require a state-issued teaching license, which usually means a four-year degree and a state exam.

How do I find a CDA Professional Development Specialist near me?

Log into your account on cdacouncil.org after your application is accepted. The Council's website has a locator tool that shows credentialed PD Specialists in your area. In rural areas the list can be short. If you can't find one nearby, contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency. CCR&Rs often know local specialists or can connect you to one who will travel or conduct a remote pre-verification review before the in-person observation.

Do my CDA training hours have to be completed before I apply?

The Council's current process lets you apply before all 120 training hours are done, but you must complete them within the 12-month window after your application is accepted. You cannot submit your final materials until every hour is documented. Practically, most applicants who already have 80 or more hours apply to start the clock, then finish the rest while assembling their portfolio.

Can the CDA application fee be reimbursed or covered by a scholarship?

Often yes. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships cover the application fee in roughly 22 states. CCDF-funded quality improvement programs in many states also reimburse CDA costs for providers who earn the credential and keep working in the field for at least one year. Contact your local CCR&R to find out what's available in your state before you pay out of pocket.

What happens if my CDA expires before I renew it?

You lose the credential and must apply as a new applicant. That means paying the full $425 application fee, completing 120 new training hours, going through the full portfolio and observation process, and retaking the exam. The Council does allow a grace period up to one year after expiration with a modified process and a higher fee, but it is not a simple renewal. Renewing before expiration is always the smarter financial move.

Does a CDA satisfy the Head Start teacher qualification requirement?

Partially. The Head Start Program Performance Standards, updated in 2016, require that at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers nationally hold a baccalaureate or advanced degree in ECE or a related field ^[9]. The CDA alone does not satisfy the degree requirement for those positions. It (or an associate degree) is still accepted for assistant teacher roles and for teacher positions not required to hold a bachelor's. Check the specific program's job requirements and your state's Head Start collaboration office for details.

How is the CDA different from a Child Development Certificate at a community college?

A community college Child Development Certificate is an academic credential from the college, earned by completing a set of courses. A CDA is a competency-based professional credential that requires demonstrated skills through an observed verification visit, more than coursework. Many providers use community college courses to complete the 120 training hours the CDA requires, and some colleges offer articulation agreements where CDA holders receive credit toward an associate degree. They are different credentials that often complement each other.

Can the CDA help me qualify for a higher subsidy reimbursement rate?

In many states, yes. States use CCDF funds to pay higher subsidy reimbursement to providers rated at higher QRIS levels, and QRIS ratings often require credentialed staff. Earning a CDA can move your program up a rating level, which translates directly into higher per-child reimbursement on subsidized slots. The dollar difference varies widely by state, but in some markets it runs $2 to $5 per child per day more.

Is there a bilingual or Spanish-language CDA?

Yes. The Council offers a Bilingual Specialization for candidates who provide care mainly in Spanish (or another language) and English. There is also a dedicated Spanish Bilingual/Multicultural Preschool CDA setting. These require added competency documentation on supporting dual-language learners. The application fee is a bit higher than the standard credential, and the exam is available in Spanish.

How many CDA credentials have been issued nationally?

The Council for Professional Recognition reports awarding more than 500,000 CDA credentials since the program launched in 1975. That makes it the most widely held early childhood credential in the country. Annual issuance moves with funding availability, workforce turnover, and the reach of scholarship programs like T.E.A.C.H. The cumulative total has grown a lot since CCDF reauthorization in 2014 tied more quality improvement funds to credentialing ^[11].

Do online CDA training hours count the same as in-person hours?

Yes. The Council accepts online training hours from recognized providers. The requirement is that the training cover the eight CDA subject areas and provide documentation of clock hours completed. Fully asynchronous online courses count. Some programs include live webinars, which also count. What does not count is informal self-study (reading books or watching YouTube on your own) without a structured curriculum and proof of completion from a recognized provider.

Does earning a CDA guarantee a job or a pay raise?

No, and anyone who says otherwise is overselling it. The CDA improves your qualifications and makes you eligible for lead teacher roles in licensed programs. Whether it turns into a raise depends on your employer, your state, and market conditions. In QRIS-participating programs where a higher rating unlocks more subsidy revenue, directors have a financial reason to reward credentialed staff. But across the broader childcare labor market, wages stay low and credential premiums are modest.

Sources

1. Council for Professional Recognition, CDA Credentialing Program: CDA credential requirements: 480 hours of experience, 120 training hours, exam, portfolio; application fee $425; more than 500,000 credentials awarded since 1975; credential valid three years; renewal fee $150 and requires 45 continuing education hours
2. National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance / Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families: Forty-nine states and DC reference the CDA in licensing regulations or QRIS quality rating systems
3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Care, CCDF Policy: CCDF requires states to include workforce development goals in biennial plans, and states use CCDF quality improvement funds to reward CDA completion with higher reimbursement rates
4. Child Care Aware of America, The U.S. and the High Cost of Child Care (2023 report): Child Care Aware of America maintains a directory of CCR&Rs that connects providers to local training resources
5. National T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Program, Child Care Services Association: T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships available in approximately 22 states, covering tuition, books, and sometimes CDA application fees for childcare workers
6. Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Rules for Child Care Learning Centers (591-1-1): Georgia's licensing rules allow a lead teacher in a licensed center to meet education requirements with a CDA plus relevant experience
7. Zaslow M et al., Quality Dosage, Thresholds, and Features in Early Childhood Settings (Child Trends, 2010): Synthesis found teacher education generally relates to quality but the relationship is weaker for sub-baccalaureate credentials and certificates than for four-year degrees
8. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families: Studies on QRIS participation in multiple states found higher-rated programs showed better observed quality on tools like the ECERS and CLASS
9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Program Performance Standards (45 CFR Part 1302), Office of Head Start: Head Start Program Performance Standards updated in 2016 require at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers nationally to hold a baccalaureate or advanced degree in ECE or related field
10. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Childcare Workers and Preschool Teachers: Median hourly wage for childcare workers nationally was $13.71 in 2022; median for preschool teachers was $18.40 and for kindergarten teachers $28.21
11. Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, CCDF Reauthorization: CCDF reauthorization in 2014 tied more quality improvement funds to workforce credentialing and professional development