How to get a CDA certification

To get a CDA certification, you need to meet education requirements, select your experience type and gain 480 hours of experience, and take the CDA certification exam.

Here are more details on these steps and others you must take to get a CDA certification:

• Meet the education requirements. There are certain education requirements you must meet to gain a CDA certification.

  You must first have a high school diploma, GED, or have completed an early childhood development program, or technical program in your high school.

  If you enroll in an early childhood education program at your high school you can use its training hours toward the CDA certification formal education requirement.

  You must complete at least 120 hours of training in the CDA subject areas. There are eight CDA subject areas, and you need to log at least 10 hours in each area.

  Here are the CDA subject areas:

  • Learning environment

  • Intellectual development

  • Emotional development

  • Family relationships

  • Program operation

  • Professionalism

  • Children's behavior

  • Principles of development and education

  Hours in all of these areas are required to gain a CDA certification.

• Select your experience type and gain 480 hours of experience. This is the next step in the process.

  Here are the options for experience and setting type:

  • Center-based preschool

  • Center-based infant and toddler

  • Family child care

  • Home visitor

  The 480 hours of experience requirement can come from unpaid work, but you should definitely try to gain work experience in the area you plan to apply for. You need to complete this on-the-job training portion within three years of taking the exam for the CDA certification.

  It is recommended that you gain experience through a center-based program because these tend to have at least two caregivers and 10 or more children enrolled in them.

• Fill out the CDA application and submit a professional portfolio. You can apply online or fill out a hard copy of the CDA application.

  During this step, you also have to pay a non-refundable fee when you are ready to schedule your examination.

  To submit a portfolio, you should follow the outline given in the CDA Competency Standards book. Professional portfolios include items like:

  • Needed documentation

  • Family questionnaires

  • Competency statements

  • Resources

  • Philosophy statement

  During the process of your certification, you will have a session with a specialist who reviews and verifies your professional portfolio.

• Pass the CDA certification exam. There are several different testing centers you can take the exam at.