Last updated 2026-07-10
TL;DR
The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, a nonprofit established in 1975. Candidates must complete 120 clock hours of formal education, 480 hours of work experience with children, and pass a competency assessment. The credential is widely recognized in state licensing rules and CCDF quality rating systems as a baseline professional standard.
Who exactly awards the CDA credential?
The Child Development Associate credential is awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that has been the only issuing body since 1975. [1] Nobody else can grant a CDA. Community colleges, Head Start programs, and Child Care Resource and Referral agencies can help you prepare, but the credential itself comes only from the Council.
The Council was built for exactly this job. It grew out of a federal push in the 1970s to set a recognized professional standard for early childhood workers, and it has run independently ever since. As of 2023, the Council has awarded more than 500,000 CDA credentials since the program launched. [1]
Here's where people get burned. Finishing a CDA training course at a community college does not mean you hold a CDA. It doesn't. You have to apply directly to the Council, pay the credentialing fee, and complete their assessment. The college certificate and the CDA credential are two separate documents.
If you want to know what the cda credential requires beyond the issuing body, start with the Council's official candidate handbook. It lays out every requirement in plain language.
What is the Council for Professional Recognition and how is it structured?
The Council for Professional Recognition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C. It runs under a board of trustees and operates independently from any federal agency, though it has historically received federal support and its work lines up with federal early childhood policy.
The Council's stated mission is to strengthen the childcare profession through credentialing and standards for early childhood educators. Its main product is the CDA credential. It also runs the CDA renewal process and the Council for Professional Recognition Academy, which offers professional development tied to the CDA framework. [1]
The Council is not a licensing agency. It does not license daycare centers or home providers. State licensing agencies do that. The Council issues a professional credential, and states and programs then decide whether to recognize it, require it, or reward it through their own rules. Picture how a nursing board recognizes CPR certification from the American Heart Association: the body that grants the credential is separate from the authority that grants the license.
That split confuses a lot of new providers. Your state may require a CDA (or accept it as meeting an education requirement), but your state childcare licensing office is not where you apply for the credential. You apply through the Council at cdacouncil.org.
What are the eligibility requirements to apply for a CDA?
To apply for a CDA credential, you have to meet three core eligibility requirements set by the Council for Professional Recognition. [2]
First, a high school diploma or GED. No college degree required. That's on purpose. The CDA was designed to reach frontline workers who never went to college.
Second, 480 hours of work experience with children in an early childhood setting within the past five years. The hours have to match the age group of the credential you're after (infant/toddler, preschool, family child care, or home visitor).
Third, 120 clock hours of formal childcare education covering the eight CDA subject areas. Those areas include planning a safe environment, advancing children's physical development, and supporting language development, among others. The hours have to come from an accredited or approved source, and at least 10 hours must cover each of the eight areas. [2]
There's a fourth practical piece. You submit a Professional Portfolio documenting your competencies, collect a Family Questionnaire from families in your program, and complete a Verification Visit with a CDA Professional Development Specialist. The specialist is either assigned by the Council or, under the newer direct assessment pathway, a Council-selected assessor. This is more than a paper application. Somebody watches you work.
One more thing: you have to be at least 18.
How much does the CDA credentialing process cost?
As of 2024, the Council for Professional Recognition charges $425 for a first-time CDA application through the standard pathway. Renewal, every three years, costs $150. [2]
If you use the CDA Professional Development Specialist (PDS) pathway, the older route where you work with an independent specialist who runs your Verification Visit, costs can climb because the specialist may charge a separate fee. That fee swings a lot. Sometimes it's $0 if a local agency covers it. Sometimes it's $100 to $200 or more if you're hiring someone on your own.
Some states and programs pick up part of the tab. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships, offered in many states, can cover CDA fees and coursework for eligible workers. [3] Child Care Aware of America keeps a directory of state professional development financial assistance programs. If you work for Head Start, your program usually pays CDA costs directly.
The $425 fee covers the credentialing process, not the education hours. If you haven't finished the 120 training hours, you pay for those separately, through a community college, an online provider, or a Child Care Resource and Referral agency. Course costs run from free (some publicly funded programs) to several hundred dollars.
Plan on $500 to $700 total for a first-time CDA if you're paying for some or all of your training hours yourself. If an employer or scholarship covers it, your out-of-pocket cost can land near $0.
What are the different types of CDA credentials you can earn?
The Council for Professional Recognition offers six credential settings. [2] Each is a separate credential tied to a specific work context.
| Credential Type | Age Group / Setting |
|---|---|
| Infant/Toddler | Center-based, birth to 36 months |
| Preschool | Center-based, ages 3 to 5 |
| Family Child Care | Home-based, birth to 5 years |
| Home Visitor | Home-based parent education |
| Preschool (Bilingual) | Center-based, bilingual specialization |
| Home-Based Bilingual | Home-based, bilingual specialization |
The Family Child Care CDA is the one most home daycare operators want. It requires work experience in a home-based setting specifically, and the competency standards reflect the mixed-age, sole-provider reality of family child care. A home provider who holds a Preschool CDA technically holds a different credential than the Family Child Care type, and some state licensing rules spell out which one counts.
Bilingual specializations are add-ons. They don't replace the base credential. They expand it. You demonstrate language proficiency and extra competencies in working with dual-language learners.
For home daycare operators, check your state's exact licensing language before you spend a dime. Some states say "CDA credential" with no type specified, which usually means any type qualifies. Others require the Family Child Care CDA for licensed home providers. Your state childcare licensing office can confirm which.
How does the CDA credentialing process actually work, step by step?
The Council for Professional Recognition changed its process over the past few years. Here's how the standard pathway runs now. [2]
Step one: Finish your eligibility requirements. That's your 480 work hours, your high school diploma, and your 120 training hours. You can start the application before all 120 hours are done, but they must be done before your Verification Visit.
Step two: Create a CDA account on the Council's website and open your application. You document your work experience, upload proof of education, and start building your Professional Portfolio.
Step three: Build the Professional Portfolio. It's a physical or digital collection of six resource files (organized by CDA subject areas), a Family Questionnaire completed by families in your care, and a Reflective Competency Statement where you write about your own practice across the six competency standards.
Step four: Hand out the Family Questionnaire to families you work with. The Council requires a minimum number of completed forms (typically three to five, depending on setting) and specifies the exact form to use.
Step five: Schedule your Verification Visit. A CDA Professional Development Specialist watches you work with children for one to one and a half hours minimum and reviews your portfolio. The specialist fills out a formal observation checklist.
Step six: The Council reviews everything and issues a decision. If approved, your CDA credential arrives by mail and shows up in the Council's online registry. Start to finish, plan on two to three months, longer if your Verification Visit is slow to schedule.
Renewal comes every three years. You'll need 45 hours of continuing education and the $150 renewal fee.
Why do states and programs recognize the CDA credential in their licensing rules?
The CDA shows up in state licensing rules because it's an established, nationally standardized measure of early childhood competency. States didn't have to build their own assessment framework from scratch. They could point to the Council's process.
The federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) drives a lot of this. The CCDF, run by the Office of Child Care within the Department of Health and Human Services, requires states to describe how they support the professional development of childcare workers as a condition of receiving federal child care block grant money. [4] Many states answer that by tying subsidy acceptance, quality rating systems, or licensing standards to recognized credentials, and the CDA is the most common entry-level credential they name.
The Office of Child Care guidance states that CCDF plans must describe strategies to "provide training and technical assistance to help child care providers... meet applicable State and local health and safety requirements." [4] CDA attainment is one of the most common strategies states report.
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are the other big mechanism. Nearly every state runs a QRIS, and almost all of them assign quality points based on staff credentials. Providers who hold CDAs usually score higher than those who don't, and a higher QRIS rating can affect eligibility for enhanced childcare subsidy reimbursement rates.
Child Care Aware of America's annual State Fact Sheets track how many states fold the CDA into licensing or QRIS requirements, though the specifics vary a lot by state and shift over time. [5]
Is a CDA required to run a licensed daycare?
Not everywhere. Requirements change by state and by program type.
Some states require at least one staff member with a CDA (or equivalent) to license a center-based program. Others treat it as an optional qualification that satisfies an education requirement. Home daycare rules are often lighter. Many states require no formal credential at all for a licensed family child care home, though some do require or reward CDA attainment even there.
Head Start and Early Head Start are a different animal. Federal Head Start Program Performance Standards (45 CFR Part 1302) require at least 50% of center-based Head Start teachers to hold an Associate degree or higher in early childhood education or a related field, with a waiver pathway for those actively working toward it. [6] A CDA alone no longer satisfies the Head Start teacher requirement, though it may satisfy requirements for assistant teachers or aides.
For a daycare center, the director qualification often lists the CDA as a floor credential for smaller or entry-level programs, with requirements climbing to associate or bachelor's degrees for larger or higher-rated facilities.
Running a licensed home daycare? Check your state's rules directly. In Michigan, for example, the michigan daycare licensing framework sets out provider qualification tiers that reference the CDA alongside other credentials. Short version: a CDA is often enough for a family child care home license and for assistant or lead teacher roles in a licensed center, but it's rarely enough on its own to qualify as a director or lead teacher in a higher-rated center.
ChildCareComp's compliance toolkit includes a state-by-state breakdown of where the CDA satisfies licensing education requirements, which beats hunting through each state's licensing manual.
How does the CDA compare to other early childhood credentials?
The CDA sits at the entry level of the early childhood credential ladder. Here's a straight comparison.
| Credential | Issuing Body | Education Required | Typical Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDA | Council for Professional Recognition | High school diploma + 120 training hours | Assistant teacher, home provider |
| Associate degree (ECE) | Accredited college | 2 years college | Lead teacher, site director (small programs) |
| Bachelor's degree (ECE) | Accredited college | 4 years college | Lead teacher, director, PreK teacher |
| State certification (ECE) | State DOE | Varies (often BA required) | Public PreK teacher |
| Montessori credential | AMI or AMS | Varies | Montessori classroom teacher |
The CDA is the only nationally portable, competency-based credential that doesn't require college enrollment. That's the real draw. A home provider who finished high school and has worked in childcare for a couple of years can earn a CDA without signing up for a degree program. The competency standards are grounded in observed practice, not written exams.
The flip side: the CDA is not equal to an associate degree in early childhood education, and states keep raising the bar for lead teacher and director roles. Treat the CDA as a starting point, not a finish line. Plenty of providers use it as a bridge to an associate or bachelor's degree, and some colleges award credit toward those degrees for CDA completion.
If you're thinking about curriculum quality alongside credentialing, resources like free preschool curriculum and structured programs like creative curriculum for preschool are often part of what CDA candidates study during their 120 training hours, since curriculum knowledge is baked into the CDA subject areas.
How long does it take to earn a CDA credential?
The timeline hangs almost entirely on how fast you finish your eligibility requirements. The Council sets no deadline for accumulating your 480 work hours or 120 training hours, but once you start the application itself, you have a one-year window.
For someone already working in childcare who just needs the training hours and portfolio work, four to six months is realistic if you pursue training steadily. Some candidates finish in two to three months with intensive coursework. Others stretch it to a year or more while juggling work and family.
The Verification Visit is usually the bottleneck. In areas with few available CDA Professional Development Specialists, waits of four to eight weeks are common. Urban areas generally have more specialists on call.
Once the Council has a complete application and verification report, it typically issues a credentialing decision within four to six weeks. [2] Add it up: plan for a minimum of three months from starting your application to holding the credential, and six to nine months is more realistic if you're starting from scratch on training hours.
Can you renew a CDA, and what happens if it lapses?
CDA credentials are good for three years. Renewal takes 45 hours of professional development completed within that three-year window, plus the $150 renewal fee paid to the Council. [2]
If your CDA lapses, there's a grace period option. The Council has historically allowed renewals within a window after expiration, though the exact terms and any late fees should be checked directly on the Council's website since these policies have changed.
Let too much time pass and you may have to apply as a new candidate all over again, Verification Visit included. That's expensive and slow, so a calendar reminder well before your three-year expiration earns its keep.
On compliance: if your state or program requires a current CDA, a lapsed one does not count. State licensing surveyors and Head Start reviewers check expiration dates. A lapsed CDA during an inspection is a deficiency you don't want written up.
The Council keeps an online registry where credential status is publicly verifiable. That's handy for holders who need to prove current status and for employers or licensing agencies checking staff qualifications.
Where can you complete the required 120 training hours for a CDA?
The Council accepts training from a range of sources, but it has to come from an accredited institution or an approved provider. [2] Community colleges are the most common source, and their ECE courses routinely satisfy CDA training requirements. Many run explicit CDA prep programs.
Online providers have taken off. The Council accepts online training as long as it comes from an accredited or Council-approved source. National providers like ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), Brighten Education, and Child Care Lounge offer CDA-compatible online courses, though you should always confirm current Council approval before enrolling.
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies in many communities offer CDA prep training, sometimes at low or no cost for local providers. Find your local CCR&R through Child Care Aware of America. [5]
What the Council does NOT accept: hours from workshops that aren't credit-bearing or formally approved, training from unaccredited programs, or hours earned more than five years before your application.
For home-based providers looking at curriculum approaches as part of their training, studying structured programs like preschool curriculum for 3-year-olds or montessori preschool curriculum can count toward CDA hours when delivered through an approved provider. Curriculum planning is one of the eight required CDA domains.
If you're building a home-based program, preschool homeschool curriculum resources can help as you develop portfolio materials around learning environments and child development support.
Does the CDA credential qualify you for childcare subsidy programs or financial incentives?
In many states, holding a CDA qualifies providers for higher reimbursement rates under the CCDF subsidy program, a higher QRIS rating that comes with bonus payments, or a spot in tiered quality incentive programs.
The CCDF policy framework pushes states to use subsidy rates to reward quality, and since QRIS ratings often lean on staff credentials, a CDA can translate to more money per subsidized child per month. The size of the bump varies widely by state. Some states offer a modest $0.10 to $0.50 per hour increase. Others build in bigger quality bonuses. [4]
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships, offered in roughly 25 states, exist specifically to pay for education and credentialing costs for childcare workers, CDA fees included. [3] If you're paying out of pocket and T.E.A.C.H. operates in your state, check eligibility before you spend your own money.
Providers who accept childcare subsidy payments and want to see how credential levels affect their reimbursement rates should request a copy of their state's current CCDF plan or market rate survey. Both are public documents and typically spell out how provider quality levels map to payment rates.
The link between credentials and financial sustainability is real but state-dependent. Nobody has a full national dataset showing exactly how much income rises with CDA attainment across every state and setting, but the directional evidence is consistent: credentialed providers in quality-tiered systems earn more per subsidized slot than non-credentialed ones.
If you're thinking about the wider business picture, resources on childcare tax credit eligibility and subsidy participation round out the credential conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CDA credential the same as a college degree in early childhood education?
No. The CDA is a competency-based professional credential requiring a high school diploma, 120 training hours, and 480 work hours. It is not a college degree and does not carry college credit on its own, though some colleges award credit toward an associate degree for CDA holders. A two-year associate degree in ECE requires far more academic coursework and typically qualifies candidates for higher-level roles than a CDA alone.
Can I get a CDA credential online?
You can complete most of the CDA process online: the application, portfolio building, and the required 120 training hours through Council-approved online providers. The Verification Visit, which involves a trained specialist observing you working with children, must happen in person. The Council has expanded online pathways since 2020, but the in-person observation cannot be replaced by a virtual substitute.
How do I verify that someone holds a current CDA credential?
The Council for Professional Recognition maintains a public online registry at cdacouncil.org where you can search by name and verify credential status, type, and expiration date. State licensing agencies and program administrators use this registry. Credential holders can also provide a physical certificate, but the online registry is the authoritative source because it reflects current renewal status.
Does the CDA credential expire?
Yes. CDA credentials are valid for three years from the date of issuance. Renewal requires 45 hours of professional development completed during that period plus a $150 renewal fee paid to the Council. A lapsed CDA does not satisfy any licensing or program requirement that specifies a current CDA, and state licensing surveyors do check expiration dates during inspections.
What is a CDA Professional Development Specialist?
A CDA Professional Development Specialist (PDS) is a trained professional who conducts the Verification Visit part of the CDA assessment. The specialist observes you working with children, reviews your Professional Portfolio, and submits a formal observation report to the Council. Specialists are either assigned by the Council or selected independently by candidates, depending on the pathway. Some local agencies provide subsidized access to specialists at no charge.
Does a CDA credential transfer between states?
Yes. Because the CDA is issued by a national organization, not a state agency, it is valid in all 50 states. Whether your new state's licensing rules accept it as meeting their education or credential requirements is a separate question set by that state's regulations, but the credential itself does not expire or become invalid when you move. Check your new state's childcare licensing rules to confirm how the CDA fits.
How many clock hours of training do you need for a CDA?
You need 120 clock hours of formal early childhood education covering the eight CDA subject areas. At least 10 hours must cover each of the eight areas. Hours must come from an accredited institution or a Council-approved provider. Training earned more than five years before your application does not count. Online training is accepted if it comes from an approved source.
Is the Family Child Care CDA different from the Preschool CDA?
Yes. They are separate credentials with different competency standards and eligibility rules tailored to different settings. The Family Child Care CDA is for home-based providers working with children from birth through age five in a family setting. The Preschool CDA is for center-based teachers working with children ages three to five. Some state licensing rules specify which type counts, so check your state's language before applying.
What is the Professional Portfolio required for a CDA?
The Professional Portfolio is a set of documentation that demonstrates your competency across the six CDA competency standards. It includes six resource files (one per standard), a Family Questionnaire completed by families in your program, and a Reflective Competency Statement where you describe your own practices in writing. The portfolio is reviewed by the CDA Professional Development Specialist during your Verification Visit and submitted as part of your application to the Council.
Can financial assistance help cover the cost of getting a CDA?
Yes, in many states. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships cover CDA fees and related coursework for eligible early childhood workers in roughly 25 states. Some Child Care Resource and Referral agencies offer local training subsidies. Head Start programs often pay CDA costs for their staff directly. Check with your state's child care professional development agency or your local CCR&R before paying out of pocket.
How does the CDA credential affect QRIS ratings?
Most state Quality Rating and Improvement Systems assign quality points based on staff education and credential levels. Providers or staff who hold a CDA typically score at a higher level than those with no formal credential, which can lift a program's overall QRIS rating. Higher QRIS ratings in many states qualify providers for enhanced subsidy reimbursement rates or bonus payments, making the CDA a direct financial factor for programs serving subsidized children.
Who created the CDA credential and when?
The CDA credential was created in the early 1970s through a federal initiative, and the credential program was formally established by the Council for Professional Recognition in 1975. It was designed as a nationally recognized competency-based credential accessible to childcare workers without college degrees. As of 2023, the Council has issued more than 500,000 CDA credentials since the program's launch.
Sources
- Council for Professional Recognition, About the Council: The CDA credential is awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, which has issued more than 500,000 CDA credentials since 1975.
- Council for Professional Recognition, CDA Competency Standards and Candidate Handbook: CDA eligibility requires a high school diploma, 480 hours of work experience, 120 training hours, and a Verification Visit; application fee is $425 for first-time candidates and $150 for renewal; credential is valid for three years.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center: T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships are available in approximately 25 states and can cover CDA fees and coursework for eligible early childhood workers.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Care, Child Care and Development Fund Policy: CCDF requires states to describe strategies to provide training and technical assistance to help child care providers meet applicable requirements; states use CDA attainment as a reported strategy and can use subsidy rates to reward quality credentials.
- Child Care Aware of America, State Fact Sheets: Child Care Aware of America tracks state-level credential requirements and professional development financial assistance programs including CCR&R directories.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Program Performance Standards, 45 CFR Part 1302: Head Start Performance Standards require at least 50% of center-based Head Start teachers to hold an Associate degree or higher in ECE or a related field; a CDA alone does not satisfy this teacher qualification requirement.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, CCDF Final Rule: The CCDF framework encourages states to use differential subsidy reimbursement rates tied to quality ratings, which commonly incorporate staff credential levels including CDA attainment.
- National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: Most state Quality Rating and Improvement Systems assign quality points based on staff education and credential levels, with CDA holders scoring higher than non-credentialed staff.