What does the CDA credential mean for childcare workers?

Last updated 2026-07-09

What exactly is the CDA credential?

The Child Development Associate credential, almost always called the CDA, is the most widely recognized entry-level professional credential in early childhood education in the United States. The Council for Professional Recognition awards it. The Council is a nonprofit set up specifically for this job in 1975. ^[1]

The credential does not come from a college or a state agency. It comes from that single national body. A CDA earned in Texas is just as valid in Oregon or New York. That portability matters a lot for people who move or work across state lines.

The CDA certifies that a caregiver can show competency in eight areas the Council defines: safe and healthy learning environments, curriculum and learning activities, supporting children's social and emotional development, building productive relationships with families, running an effective program, maintaining professionalism, observing and recording children's behavior, and understanding child development. ^[1]

The credential comes in four settings-specific versions: Center-Based Preschool, Center-Based Infant/Toddler, Family Child Care, and Home Visitor. You apply for the one that matches where you actually work. A home daycare provider goes after the Family Child Care CDA, not the center-based version.

If you want the step-by-step of the cda credential process, including the formal application and assessment, that full breakdown is worth reading alongside this one.

Why was the CDA created, and who governs it?

The Council for Professional Recognition started in 1975, partly because the Head Start program needed a way to recognize the skills of its workforce without demanding a four-year degree from everyone. ^[1] The early childhood field had no shared language for competency back then. Two programs serving the same age group could staff up with wildly different qualifications, and no neutral yardstick existed to compare them.

The CDA filled that gap. It is competency-based. What matters is what you can do with children, more than what classes you sat through.

The Council runs independently of the federal government, though it has long worked closely with the Office of Child Care and the Office of Head Start. Federal money through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) names the CDA as a qualifying credential for professional development. ^[2] That federal tie is one reason so many states wrote the CDA into their licensing rules.

The Council has revised its standards several times over the decades. The current version added a formal observation done by a Council-assigned Professional Development Specialist (PDS), which replaced the older local observer model in 2013. ^[1]

What are the requirements to earn a CDA?

You need four things to apply, and people sometimes start coursework before they realize they're missing one. Know all four before you spend a dollar.

To apply for a CDA, you need every item below ^[1]:

1. At least 120 clock hours of professional development covering the eight CDA subject areas, with a minimum of 10 hours in each area. 2. At least 480 hours of experience working with children in the age group that matches your credential type, completed within the past 3 years. 3. A high school diploma or GED. 4. A current Pediatric First Aid and CPR certificate (infant CPR if you work with infants or toddlers).

Once those are in place, you build a Professional Portfolio documenting your competency in each area, including written statements, work samples, and supporting documents. Then a Council-assigned Professional Development Specialist watches you work with children, and a Verification Visit confirms your setting and reviews your portfolio. You finish with the CDA Exam, a 65-question computer-based test given at Pearson VUE testing centers. ^[1]

Start to finish, the process commonly takes 6 to 12 months if you're working while you complete requirements. Some people move faster.

The application fee is $425 for first-time applicants. ^[1] That covers the PDS observation and the exam. Coursework is a separate cost and it varies a lot: community college courses might run $500 to $2,000 total, while online CDA prep programs built for this credential often cost $200 to $600. Many states offer scholarships or T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood grants that cover most or all of it. ^[3]

How does the CDA relate to childcare licensing requirements?

This is where it goes state by state, and the variation is real. No federal rule says every childcare worker must hold a CDA. But the federal CCDF program, which funds childcare subsidies for low-income families in every state, requires each state to run a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) or similar framework with professional development benchmarks. The CDA is the entry-level credential most of those systems name. ^[2]

At the state level, requirements fall into a few patterns:

• Some states require at least one staff member per program to hold a CDA or equivalent. Florida, for example, requires child care personnel to complete training and credential steps that align with CDA competencies. ^[4]
• Some states require the CDA for lead teachers or directors but not for assistants.
• Some states don't require it outright but hand out higher QRIS ratings to programs that employ CDA-credentialed staff, which then affects subsidy reimbursement rates.
• A handful of states with strong workforce pipelines have moved toward requiring an associate's degree for lead teachers, with the CDA as a step along that path.

To find out whether a CDA satisfies your state's licensing rules, go straight to your state's childcare licensing agency. State pages describe this very differently. Michigan's licensing framework, for one, spells out education and training requirements by staff role that you'd want to line up against the CDA. ^[5]

Here's the practical part: even where the CDA isn't legally required, holding one puts you in a better spot for licensure, higher QRIS ratings, and childcare subsidy reimbursements from state agencies.

Does the CDA affect pay and hiring in childcare?

The research is mixed and the data has real limits, but the evidence points one direction: credentials help.

Child Care Aware of America's annual workforce report consistently shows that credentialed and degreed early childhood workers earn more on average than those without. ^[6] The median annual wage for childcare workers was about $29,440 as of May 2023, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ^[7] Workers with credentials like the CDA tend to sit toward the upper end of that range, especially in center-based settings.

The honest caveat: nobody has clean data isolating the CDA's wage effect from experience, degree level, and employer type. Most studies bundle credentials and education together.

The hiring side is clearer. Many Head Start and Early Head Start programs require a CDA or equivalent for lead teacher jobs. ^[8] Licensed centers in states with tiered reimbursement often prefer or require CDA-credentialed staff because it bumps their QRIS level and raises subsidy payments.

For a family daycare operator, the CDA also helps with marketing. It's a concrete, verifiable signal to parents that you met a national standard. That's worth something in a market where parents pick between providers they can't easily compare.

Some states tie wage supplements directly to credential attainment. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood and Child Care WAGE$ programs in multiple states pay stipends or salary supplements linked to CDA completion. ^[3]

How does the CDA compare to an associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood education?

The CDA sits below a degree in the standard hierarchy, but that framing sells it short.

An associate's degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) usually takes 2 years of full-time study and 60-plus credit hours. A bachelor's takes 4 years. The CDA takes 120 clock hours of training (roughly 8 college credit hours), plus documented experience and a competency assessment. It is not a degree.

But the CDA is built to stack. Many community colleges award college credit for a completed CDA, so it can shorten the path to an associate's. The Council pushes this. Some states have articulation agreements built around it.

Here's the honest comparison:

Credential	Typical time	Typical cost	Portability	Common requirement for
CDA	6-12 months	$600-$2,500 total	National	Lead teacher (many states), Head Start
Associate's degree (ECE)	2 years	$5,000-$20,000	State/regional	Director (many states), higher QRIS levels
Bachelor's degree (ECE)	4 years	$20,000-$80,000+	National	Pre-K teacher (public school), some director roles

For a daycare center director role, most states want at least an associate's degree. The CDA alone usually won't qualify someone to run a licensed center, though it may cover a lead teacher or group supervisor role.

For family childcare providers, the CDA is usually the most practical credential to earn first, since the Family Child Care version is built for that setting.

How long does the CDA credential last, and how do you renew it?

The CDA is valid for 3 years from the date it's awarded. ^[1]

To renew, you need:

• 45 clock hours of professional development completed within the 3-year period.
• Continued work with children (at least 80 hours in the past year).
• A completed renewal application submitted to the Council.
• A renewal fee, which is $150. ^[1]

Renewal skips the formal observation and the exam, which makes it far lighter than the initial credential. The 45 hours should cover a mix of the eight competency areas.

Watch this: if your CDA expires, you can't just renew it. You'd start the full application over again. The Council lets you file a renewal application up to 6 months before expiration and gives a grace period, but don't let it lapse if your job or your program's licensing depends on it.

Can the CDA credential be revoked?

Yes. The Council for Professional Recognition holds a code of ethical conduct that CDA holders agree to follow, and the credential can be revoked for violations. ^[1]

Revocation is rare. The grounds include serious misconduct, abuse or neglect of children, fraud during the application process, or criminal convictions tied to child welfare. The Council runs a formal appeals process.

This matters for operators. If you employ someone whose CDA gets revoked and your licensing category requires credentialed staff, you could fall out of compliance. Verify a prospective hire's CDA status through the Council's online verification system before you count it toward your ratio or your licensing requirements.

How do you find and pay for CDA training?

The 120 hours of required professional development can come from several sources, and that flexibility is on purpose.

Approved sources include accredited college or university courses, community-based training programs approved by the Council, online training platforms (the Council keeps a list of approved providers), Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs), and some Head Start training programs. ^[1]

Online CDA training has grown a lot in the past decade. Several organizations run self-paced online courses structured to cover all eight subject areas and issue a certificate documenting your hours. These run about $200 to $600. Some bundle in portfolio support.

Paying for it is where state resources earn their keep. The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarship program operates in more than 20 states and covers tuition, books, and sometimes transportation and a wage supplement for workers pursuing credentials including the CDA. ^[3] Call your state's CCR&R to see what's available near you.

Head Start and Early Head Start employees often get training covered entirely as part of workforce requirements.

One thing to clear up: the childcare tax credit covers families' childcare expenses, not provider training, so it's not a funding source for your CDA.

For curriculum hours, training on recognized approaches like preschool curriculum frameworks can count toward your total if it meets the Council's standards.

What is the CDA's role in Head Start programs?

Head Start has been tied to the CDA since the credential's earliest days, and federal Head Start performance standards set explicit education requirements for teaching staff.

Under the 2016 Head Start Program Performance Standards, at least 50% of Head Start teachers nationwide must hold an associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field. ^[8] The CDA satisfies requirements for teacher assistants and for programs still climbing toward the degree threshold.

The performance standards state that "by September 30, 2013, all Head Start teachers must have at minimum a child development associate credential, a state-awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for a Child Development Associate credential, an associate, bachelor's, or advanced degree in early childhood education, or an associate degree in a related field." ^[8]

Head Start has been the single largest driver of CDA attainment in the country. Many CDA holders first pursued the credential because their Head Start employer required it.

Early Head Start, which serves infants and toddlers, has parallel requirements, and the Infant/Toddler CDA is the credential type for those staff.

If your center accepts Head Start or Early Head Start funded slots, these standards drive your staffing plan and your compliance calendar.

Is the CDA worth it for a family childcare or home daycare provider?

My honest take: for most home daycare operators, yes, with some nuance.

The Family Child Care CDA is built for your setting. The portfolio and observation are structured around working alone or with minimal staff in a home, not a classroom. The competency areas map onto what you do every day.

The benefits are concrete. Several states hand family childcare providers with a CDA a higher QRIS rating, which raises subsidy reimbursement. Some states require it or equivalent training for certain licensing tiers.

Marketing is the other payoff. Parents comparison-shopping can verify your CDA on the Council's website. In markets where unlicensed or informal care competes with licensed family daycare, a visible credential separates you.

The cost is meaningful but not extreme. 120 hours of training over 6 to 12 months while running your program is a real commitment. The $425 application fee plus $200 to $600 in training is real money. State scholarships change the math a lot.

Where I'd hesitate: if you plan to close or scale down your home daycare within the next year or two, the payback window is too short to bother. Plan to run for five or more years, and the CDA pays back through higher rates and stronger positioning.

For providers building out activities, resources like free preschool curriculum and preschool curriculum for 3 year olds pair well with the professional development the CDA requires.

Want a compliance checklist that covers credential requirements alongside your other licensing obligations? ChildCareComp's toolkit pulls these together by state so you're not hunting across a dozen agency websites.

How do states use the CDA in their quality rating systems?

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) run in 39 states plus D.C. as of the most recent Child Care Aware data. ^[6] Nearly all of them rate staff qualifications as a category, and the CDA shows up in most of those systems as either a qualifying credential or a rung on the career ladder.

The usual structure: a program with no credentialed staff gets a baseline rating. A program where lead staff hold a CDA moves up a level. A program with associate's or bachelor's degreed staff climbs higher still. Higher QRIS ratings usually unlock higher subsidy reimbursement, sometimes 10 to 25 percent more per child per day. ^[2]

That's a real financial reason to invest in staff credentials. A center with 20 subsidized slots that jumps from a Level 1 to a Level 3 QRIS rating can see thousands of dollars a month in extra reimbursement, more than enough to cover the cost of putting staff through CDA training.

The specifics swing hard by state, so look at your own QRIS framework. Your state CCR&R can walk you through it, and many have tools that estimate the reimbursement gap between rating levels.

In states like Michigan, where the Great Start to Quality system feeds directly into subsidy rates, figuring out where the CDA fits is worth an afternoon. Michigan's daycare licensing rules set education requirements by role, and the QRIS framework sits on top of that.

Building your curriculum approach for a QRIS portfolio? Structured programs like the creative curriculum for preschool or Frog Street Press preschool curriculum show up in QRIS documentation as evidence of a planned learning environment.

How do you verify someone's CDA credential?

The Council for Professional Recognition runs an online registry where anyone can check whether a CDA is current. ^[1] You search by name and confirm whether the credential is active and when it expires.

For program directors and licensing specialists, this is the right way to document verification. Don't trust a staff member's copy of their award letter alone, because credentials expire and, in rare cases, get revoked.

As a compliance habit, put CDA renewal dates in your staff records calendar the same way you track CPR renewals. A lapsed CDA can open a licensing gap if your state or your program type leans on that credential.

The Council's verification system is free and doesn't require a login for a basic search. ^[1] For bulk verification or employment credentialing, the Council has a process for authorized verifiers.

Set a reminder at least 6 months before a staff member's 3-year period ends. The 45-hour renewal requirement is easy to meet when you plan for it and brutal when the calendar catches you off guard.

With ChildCareComp's staffing compliance tools, you can track credential expiration dates alongside your other licensing deadlines so nothing slips.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CDA credential the same as a degree?

No. The CDA is a competency-based credential, not a college degree. It requires 120 hours of professional development training plus documented experience, not a full academic program. Many community colleges award college credit for a completed CDA, which can shorten the path toward an associate's degree in early childhood education. Think of it as a step on the career ladder, not a substitute for a degree.

How much does it cost to get a CDA credential?

The Council for Professional Recognition's application fee is $425 for first-time applicants. Add training costs of roughly $200 to $600 for an online CDA prep program, or $500 to $2,000 for community college courses. Total out-of-pocket cost usually runs $600 to $2,500. Many states offer T.E.A.C.H. scholarships or CCR&R grants that cover most or all of it. Check with your state's Child Care Resource and Referral agency first.

Is a CDA required to work in childcare?

It depends on your state and role. No federal law universally requires a CDA for all childcare workers. Many states require it for lead teachers or as a step toward higher licensing tiers. Head Start programs require at minimum a CDA for all teachers. Some states require it for one staff member per family childcare program. Others treat it as optional but reward programs that employ credentialed staff with higher subsidy reimbursement rates.

How long does it take to get a CDA?

Most people take 6 to 12 months from starting their required professional development to receiving the credential. The timeline depends on how fast you finish the 120 training hours, document your 480 hours of work experience, build your Professional Portfolio, schedule the Professional Development Specialist observation, and pass the CDA Exam. Candidates with prior training and experience sometimes finish in 3 to 4 months.

What is the difference between the different CDA credential types?

The Council offers four settings-specific CDA types: Center-Based Preschool (programs serving 3- to 5-year-olds in a center), Center-Based Infant/Toddler (center programs serving children under age 3), Family Child Care (home-based providers), and Home Visitor (visiting families in their homes). You apply for the credential that matches your actual work setting. The competency areas are the same across all types; the portfolio examples and observation context differ.

Does the CDA increase my pay in childcare?

Generally yes, though the data doesn't perfectly isolate the CDA from other factors. Credentialed early childhood workers earn more on average than uncredentialed workers, per Child Care Aware of America's annual workforce reports. Programs that employ CDA-credentialed staff often qualify for higher QRIS ratings, which raises subsidy reimbursement. Some states also pay direct wage supplements through programs like T.E.A.C.H. and Child Care WAGE$ tied to credential attainment.

Can I get my CDA credential online?

The 120 hours of required professional development can be done fully online through Council-approved training providers, and the Professional Portfolio is submitted online. But the formal observation by a Council-assigned Professional Development Specialist must happen in person, with the PDS watching you work with children in your actual setting. The CDA Exam is taken in person at a Pearson VUE testing center. So most of the process is remote, but not all of it.

How do I renew my CDA credential?

CDA credentials are valid for 3 years. To renew, you need 45 clock hours of professional development completed during the 3-year period, documentation of continued work with children (at least 80 hours in the past year), and a completed renewal application submitted to the Council for Professional Recognition. The renewal fee is $150. Renewal skips the observation and exam. Submit your application up to 6 months before your credential expires to avoid a lapse.

What are the eight CDA subject areas?

The Council defines eight CDA competency areas: (1) safe and healthy learning environments, (2) curriculum and learning activities, (3) social and emotional development support, (4) relationships with families, (5) program management, (6) professionalism, (7) observing and recording children's behavior, and (8) principles of child development. Your 120 hours of professional development must cover all eight areas, with a minimum of 10 hours per area.

Is the CDA recognized in all 50 states?

Yes. Because the CDA is a nationally issued credential from the Council for Professional Recognition rather than a state agency, it's recognized in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Whether a given state accepts the CDA to satisfy a specific licensing requirement is a separate question. Some states accept it for certain roles but not others. Always check your state's childcare licensing rules to confirm it covers your particular requirement.

What is a Professional Development Specialist in the CDA process?

A Professional Development Specialist (PDS) is a credentialed early childhood professional the Council assigns to conduct your formal observation. The PDS spends a set amount of time watching you work directly with children in your program, then reviews your Professional Portfolio during a Verification Visit. The PDS submits a formal report to the Council as part of your credential decision. You don't choose your PDS; the Council assigns one based on geography and availability.

Can a CDA help me get licensed as a home daycare provider?

Yes, in many states. Some states require at least a CDA or equivalent training for home daycare licensure or for higher licensing tiers. Even where it's not required, a CDA can satisfy your state's professional development hour requirements, push up your QRIS rating, and make your application stronger. Check your state's home daycare licensing rules. Your state's Child Care Resource and Referral agency can tell you exactly which requirements the CDA satisfies.

What happens if my CDA credential expires?

If your CDA expires without renewal, you can't just renew it. You'd reapply through the full initial application process, including another observation, portfolio, and exam, at the full application fee. The Council provides a limited grace period. If your job or your program's licensing status depends on an active CDA, set renewal reminders at least 6 months before the expiration date to avoid this.

How is the CDA credential verified?

The Council for Professional Recognition runs a free online credential registry where anyone can search for and verify a current CDA by the holder's name. For employers and licensing inspectors, this is the authoritative method. Don't rely only on a staff member's paper certificate, which may reflect an expired or revoked credential. Build verification checks into your hiring process and your renewal calendar.

Sources

1. Council for Professional Recognition, CDA Credential Overview: CDA credential requirements, fees ($425 initial, $150 renewal), 3-year validity, eight competency areas, renewal requirements, and PDS observation process
2. Office of Child Care, HHS, Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Program: CCDF requires states to have quality improvement systems; federal funding references CDA as a qualifying credential for professional development
3. T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center: T.E.A.C.H. scholarship program operates in more than 20 states and covers tuition and other costs for CDA and degree pursuit
4. Florida Department of Children and Families, Child Care Licensing: Florida requires child care personnel to complete training and credential steps that align with CDA competencies
5. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Child Care Licensing: Michigan licensing framework specifies education and training requirements by staff role
6. Child Care Aware of America annual child care report: QRIS exist in 39 states plus DC; credentialed and degreed early childhood workers earn more on average than uncredentialed workers
7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Childcare Workers (May 2023): Median annual wage for childcare workers in the U.S. was approximately $29,440 as of May 2023
8. Office of Head Start, HHS, Head Start Program Performance Standards (45 CFR Part 1302): Head Start performance standards state 'by September 30, 2013, all Head Start teachers must have at minimum a child development associate credential'; at least 50% of teachers must have an associate's or bachelor's degree