National CDA

The Child Development Associate (CDA) is a nationally recognized credential for early care and education teachers, assistant teachers, family care providers, and other caregivers who work directly with children from birth through age five. This credential is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education. The Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C., is the only organization that can award a CDA Credential. Broward College offers the National CDA training courses. These courses prepare students who work or plan to work with children from birth to five years of age in a licensed child care facility or family child care home. This program prepares the students for the National CDA Credential.

The following training courses must be completed to meet the training portion of the credential:

  • CHD1320 - Curriculum Planning for Early Childhood
  • EEC1200 - Early Childhood Education
  • EEC1603 - Child Guidance

Upon registration for these National CDA training courses at Broward College, students will be able to:

  • Receive 120 hours of CDA-specific training with 9 College Credits that can go towards and Associates Degree.
  • Have access to Scholarship Funds, Financial Aid, and the Teach Scholarship.
  • Find support throughout the entire process, in each of the training courses, as well as additional resource materials and guides to help you both in your application for a CDA and your professional work as an early childhood educator.
  • Obtain a technical certificate in Child Care Center Management if you register for the Director's Credential class.

Classes are small, interactive, highly experiential, and conversational with a combination of classroom and field experience. Our learning environment is based on sharing best practices and is linked to the Florida Core Competencies for Early Care and Education practitioners, which encompass:

  • Health
  • Safety and Nutrition
  • Child Development and Learning
  • Building Family and Community Relationships
  • Teaching and Learning Environment Interactions
  • Curriculum
  • Observing, Documenting, Screening
  • Assessing to Support Young Children and Their Families
  • Professionalism

Many of our students are currently employed in preschool settings and are engaged in Florida's Steps to Success-Early Learning Career Pathway Training to improve their skills and certification level.

We structure our courses to assist working adults, with classes offered in evening and weekend formats. Guided individual and group work, creative activities, and a supportive, nurturing environment help to keep the program interesting and focused on your success.

You can get college credits for it. Broward College offers credit for students who have their National CDA or FCCPC. This can only be done within five years of receiving the credential.

The student will receive the following credits:

  • CHD 1331 - Creativity for Young Children
  • DEP 2002 - Child Psychology
  • EDG 2949 - Co-op Work Experience (students use this as an elective)

After the student has applied to BC, these credits can be awarded to his or her transcript. The student will need to bring in the original of the National CDA for us to photocopy, or the state transcript that indicates he/she has an FCCPC. This process can take a few weeks to appear on a transcript. Students do not receive credit for the "40-hour courses" taken.

A Staff Credential is an official designation that means an individual's professional education meets or exceeds the professional criteria set by the Department of Children and Families. One way to be eligible for the Staff Credential requires having:

  • A 2-year, a 4-year, or an advanced college degree in a field other than early childhood education, elementary education, or consumer science
  • Completion of 480 hours of experience working with children from birth through eight years of age in the last five years
  • Completion of 6-credit hours (2 courses) in Early Childhood Education or Child Development
    These courses are offered every term:
    • EEC1200 - Early Childhood Education
    • CHD1320 - Curriculum Planning for Early Childhood

To maintain your staff credential, every 5 years you must submit documentation of completion of a training course related to children ages birth through age five. Pick one of these 3-credit courses to renew using coursework from BC you can take (if you have not taken the BC course before):

  • EEC 1200 - Early Childhood Education
  • EEC 1603 - Child Guidance
  • CHD 1320 - Curriculum Planning for Early Childhood
  • CHD 1331 - Creativity for Young Children
  • CHD 1334 - Children's Literature and Language Arts
  • CHD 1338 - Math and Science for the Young Child

More information on how to renew the National CDA or FCCPC and other training requirements (PDF).