CDA Renewal

The CDA Credential is valid for a period of 3 years after issuance. Prior to CDA expiration, you will need to submit a renewal packet to the Council for Professional Recognition for consideration. It is critically important that the Council receives this renewal application prior to your credential’s expiration date. If you do not submit your materials to them in time, you will most likely need to re-apply for the CDA which – as you know – can be a lot more work! On the other side, you don’t want to submit your renewal application too soon; the CDA Council will only accept renewal applications up to 6 months before the expiration date.

 

This Requirement has 2 parts: Evidence of Continued Professional Education and evidence of Membership to a National or Local Early Childhood Professional Organization. These two indicators represent your commitment to professionalism in the field and help renewal assessors to evaluate if you have remained current in your practices.

Professional Development: Evidence of your professional development includes certificates or transcripts indicating that you have completed at least 4.5 CEUs of training OR one 3-credit early childhood course OR 45 Clock Hours of training in early childhood or child development. To meet the training standards for this requirement, the courses you report with your renewal application should be directly applicable to the settings/age groups with which you work. This training needs to have been completed AFTER your initial CDA was issued and should be different from the original training you received for your CDA

Professional Membership: Professionals in the early childhood workforce have a responsibility to maintain connections with professional organizations. There are many early childhood organizations that offer memberships to individuals from the early childhood workforce, and benefits of these memberships may include access to periodicals, trainings, webinars, and other services. You may choose the professional organization that you feel best supports your professional development goals, but should consider NAEYC and state AEYC affiliates when making your membership decision. Evidence of your current membership to a professional early childhood organization can include a copy of your membership card, a letter (on official agency letterhead) indicating that your membership is active, or a receipt from a membership purchase.

 

It is important that you have ongoing, continuous contact with children in a teaching capacity during the period of your CDA Credential. During renewal, your EC Reviewer will need to verify that you have worked with children in your endorsement area setting (i.e. family child care, infant/toddler, preschool) for at least 80 hours. Your selected EC Reviewer must meet the standards outlined by the Council for Professional Recognition and will need to verify your hours through the online application system.

While CPR/First Aid is typically a program training requirement, you will need to provide evidence of your current certification when you apply for your renewal. This evidence can include a copy of your certification in First Aid and both Infant and Child (Pediatric) CPR. Certification must be current at the time of submission the of CDA Renewal Application. Please be sure that your training record includes the following details:

• Training agency’s name
• Training agency official seal or logo and/or mailing address
• Renewal candidate’s name
• Issue date and expiration date (“or valid for” timeframe)
• Instructor’s Signature
• Instructor certification number (not required if the instructor is an RN or paramedic)