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Best child care provider certifications

Child care provider certifications allow job seekers to demonstrate their competency as an child care provider to employers. However, not all child care provider certifications provide the same value for job seekers.

The best certifications for a child care provider are Child Development Associate (CDA), First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor, and Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA).

Below is a list of the best child care provider certifications. Obtaining an child care provider certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.

7 best child care provider certifications

1. Child Development Associate (CDA)

A Child Development Associate (CDA) is able to meet the specific needs of children and work with parents and other adults to nurture children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth in a child development framework.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)

2. First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor

Knowing how to respond to a first aid or CPR emergency is one of the most important skills a person can possess. The Standard First Aid, CPR and AED course meets the OSHA requirements and is your tool for training employees or the general public on the latest skills, techniques and expertise in life-saving procedures. The practice and feedback of using related skills in a realistic situation is integrated into the actual teaching experience.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? No
  • Renewal required? No
Certifying organization
National Safety Council
Course that help you to prepare for certification
First Aid & CPR - An in Depth Guide to CPR, AED and Choking
udemy
4.8
(452)

3. Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA)

Medical Office Assistants typically perform administrative duties for health care providers in office settings, although some may also perform basic clinical tasks (as allowed by state laws). Their responsibilities will vary by employer, but may include answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing medical records, completing insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling billing or bookkeeping.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)

4. Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED

Participants learn the importance of AEDs, and how to use an AED properly.The professional rescuer courses are designed for people with job-related duties in emergency preparedness and response. This includes nurses, law enforcement and EMS personnel, fire fighters, business and industry response teams, lifeguards, flight attendants, and others who must take action in emergency situations.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)
Course that help you to prepare for certification
First Aid & CPR - An in Depth Guide to CPR, AED and Choking
udemy
4.8
(452)

5. Patient Care Technician

1. Completion of an Approved Patient Care Technician Program 2. Minimum of 80 Hours Lecture 3. Minimum of 80 Clinical Rotation In Phlebotomy 4. Must Be Certified Nursing Assistant 5. High School Diploma or G.E.D 6. Successful Completion of Certification Exam

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
Certifying website
Patient Care Technician
Certifying organization
American Phlebotomy Association

6. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Experienced Provider (EP) (ACLS)

9-10 hours of coursework

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? No
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)

7. Medication Aide Certification (MACE)

The Medication Aide Certification Examination (MACE) is a national medication aide certification examination administered to nurse aides who choose to receive additional training to become certified medication aides. NCSBN develops the MACE examination and administers the exam with the contractual assistance of Pearson VUE. Once certified, these medication aides serve an important role in hospitals and long-term care facilities by helping distribute medications and monitoring for adverse reactions.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? 
Certifying organization
National Council of State...

What is the best certification for a child care provider?

The best child care provider certification is Child Development Associate (CDA). The Child Development Associate (CDA) is awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition. This certification is great to have as it shows an improvement in your competency to perform your role. You can earn this certification at the beginning of your career, as it often doesn't require a minimum education level and work experience.

Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this child care provider certification:

  • To become a certified Child Development Associate (CDA), you need to pass the exam.
  • This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
  • Renew certification every 3 year.

What are some of the most in-demand certifications for child care providers?

The most in-demand child care provider certification is Child Development Associate based on all active job postings. Having this child care provider certification will give you access to more child care provider jobs with higher salaries.

What certifications can impact a child care provider career and salary?

The Patient Care Technician certification will help you to secure a certified nursing assistant position, which will increase your pay and career trajectory. A certified nursing assistant's average salary is $28,738 whereas child care providers make an average salary of $33,145.

Best certifications

The most common combination of child care provider certifications include: Child Development Associate (CDA), First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor, and Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA).

Online courses for child care providers to earn certifications

Advertising disclosure

1. Child Care as a Business

coursera

This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to run a home-based child care center. It covers topics such as the fundamentals of an in-home childcare setting as a business; the importance of financial management of a child care center; the creation of a child care contract; and an exploration of how to set tuition rates. Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the...

2. Home-Based Child Care

coursera

This series of courses is intended to provide learners with the tools to develop and operate a home-based childcare center. Stages of child development, best practices to stimulate learning, important safety measures, and business fundamentals are introduced...

3. Providing Trauma-Informed Care

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(1,276)

Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...

4. The Key to Happiness: Self Care

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Discover Self Care as a tool for creating positive change in your mental health, behaviours, and well-being...

5. Thinking About Care

coursera

Although all humans require care to develop and thrive, it is rarely the focus of academic studies. This course enriches learner’s understanding of this critical yet underappreciated facet of their lives by addressing such questions as: What is care? Who has traditionally provided it? How valued is care work? Does money take the care out of care work? In addition to advancing learner’s knowledge of the place of care in modern society and controversies surrounding it, Thinking About Care will...

6. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

coursera

This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

7. Fully Accredited Professional Child Psychology Diploma

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Learn or Specialise Your Therapy in Child Psychology with this Fully Accredited Diploma Course...

8. Self-Care Life Coach Certification (Boundary Setting)

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Empower Your Life Coach Your Clients to Develop Self-Care, Self-Love, Boundary Setting and How to Say No...

9. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

10. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

coursera

The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...

11. Introduction to Child Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

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Learn about child behaviour, parenting styles, relationships and socialising, cognitive development, counselling & more!...

12. Social Media for Healthcare Providers

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Social media and HIPPA compliance training for covered entities that transmit health information...

13. Kids with Cancer Still Need School: The Providers Role

coursera

This course will help you understand and address the challenges parents and families face regarding schooling after a cancer diagnosis. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, families can be overwhelmed learning about and managing this new and frightening reality. As they adjust to the new normal of ongoing treatment, school may be the farthest thing from their mind. However, as their oncology health care provider, you have a critical role in starting conversations about schooling. Even for...

14. Palliative Care Always

coursera

Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel...

15. Caring for Others

coursera

Caring for Others examines how society cares for its at-risk members and the experiences of its caregivers. This specialization addresses questions such as: How much suffering is in the world today? Does digital media sensitize/desensitize us to the anguish of distant others? What are the different types of paid care work? How do care workers manage their emotions? And much more. This specialization is relevant to individuals interested in becoming a helping professional as well as anyone...

16. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

17. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care

coursera

In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...

18. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

coursera

This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

19. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

20. Trauma Emergencies and Care

coursera

Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

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