Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Certification Policy Manual
The National Council for Professional Recognition's Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential is not an automatic qualifier for Regular (Level 1) Certification. There are four types of CDAs and they are briefly described on the CDA Council website. The CDA Credential is a professional credential for caregivers of young children. The process of obtaining the credential is self-guided and involves the following: completing and documenting training in child development; conducting programs for young children, applying what has been learned; developing a professional resource collection; working with an advisor; taking a written examination; and participating in an interview with a CDA representative. The materials prepared by the candidate, the advisor's report, the written exam and the representative's report are reviewed, and a decision is made by the Council for Professional Recognition about whether to issue the CDA Credential. For additional information about the CDA Credential, contact the Council for Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, DC at 800-424-4310.
If the CDA Credential is for Family Child Care, it meets the requirements for entry-level training required for Regular (Level 1) certification, assuming CPR training and a training in child abuse and neglect is also completed. If the CDA is for Preschool or Infant / Toddler, it would not include the Fundamentals of Family Child Care component / requirement for Regular certification. For more information on types of credentials visit the CDA Credentials web page.
The CDA has an expiration date, but it does not need to be current to accept as meeting entry-level requirements as described above.
The individual will still need to document completion of CAN, SIDS and AHT/SBS unless the training taken to earn the CDA included Introduction to the Child Care Profession or Principles of Child Care Certification, and Fundamentals of Infant Toddler Care.
The applicant / operator would need to submit documentation of specific courses s/he completed in order to earn the CDA Credential. These courses should then be compared to those listed on the acceptable broad-based course list.
The Wisconsin Registry Family Child Care Credential focuses on the unique aspects of family child care with strong emphasis on the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Quality Standard and the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. The Wisconsin Registry Family Child Care Credential meets the requirements for entry-level training required for Regular (Level 1) certification, assuming CPR training is also completed. The Family Child Care Credential is a four course, 12-credit sequence and includes Introduction to Family Child Care, Responsive Programming, Financial Management and Planning, and Capstone experience. The Wisconsin Registry Credential includes training in child abuse and neglect, SIDS and AHT/SBS but not CPR training.
This page last updated 08/2024.