CDA Council for Professional Recognition

CDA Council for Professional Recognition We give early childhood teachers the certification (CDA) and support they need to give all young children the quality care and education they deserve.

Over the past 49 years, we have issued over 1,000,000 CDA credentials. Nonpartisan. The Child Development Associate® (CDA) is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE) and is a key stepping stone on the path of career advancement in ECE. The CDA credential is based on a core set of Competency Standards, which guide early care professionals as they work toward becomin

g qualified teachers of young children. CDAs have knowledge of how to put the CDA Competency Standards into practice and understanding of why those Standards help children move with success from one developmental stage to another. Over the past 45 years, we have issued over 800,000 CDA credentials to educators in Preschool, Infant/Toddler, Family Child Care and Home Visitor settings, including to those who have earned their CDA through high school programs.

06/03/2026

Season 2 of Council Table is live.

In this clip, Dr. Calvin Moore shares something that stopped us: a good early childhood educator left the field to go work at Krispy Kreme. It is one story, but one that many people in this field have seen happen in their own programs.

The full conversation with Dr. Tonia Durden is out now. Have you seen talented educators leave for a higher-paying job? Tell us in the comments.

Listen now: https://bit.ly/4dLnNhW

"My role as an infant teacher is just as important as your role as a chemistry teacher."Dr. Tonia Durden, NAEYC board pr...
06/02/2026

"My role as an infant teacher is just as important as your role as a chemistry teacher."

Dr. Tonia Durden, NAEYC board president, said that on tomorrow's Council Table season finale.

She has spent her career making this case in classrooms, in research, and now at the national level. Tomorrow, she brings it to the Council Table.

What would actually change in your program or community if early childhood educators were compensated like K-12 teachers? Tell us in the comments.

06/01/2026

The Season 2 finale of Council Table records this week, and we got to be in the room for it.

Dr. Tonia Durden, NAEYC board president and professor at Georgia State University, sat down with Dr. Calvin Moore to talk about what the early childhood field really owes the people doing this work. Her perspective comes from years of building college programs for working educators and sitting at the table where national decisions get made.

The episode is called "And How Are the Children? The Future ECE Deserves." It drops on Wednesday.

Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/48D6yOg

Tuesday, we introduced you to the team at Metropolitan Community College, who built a CDA® pathway where educators never...
05/29/2026

Tuesday, we introduced you to the team at Metropolitan Community College, who built a CDA® pathway where educators never have to go it alone.

Today, we want you to meet India Smith.

India has worked with children in Omaha for over eight years. After earning her CDA credential through MCC, with mentor Diana Molina by her side, she now sings during circle time. Her read-alouds are more interactive. She approaches challenging moments with patience she built through the credentialing process.

She lives by Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

That is India. Read her full story here: https://bit.ly/4uCRFVc

Beatriz Altidor earned her preschool CDA® credential, and one look at her classroom tells you this has been a long time ...
05/28/2026

Beatriz Altidor earned her preschool CDA® credential, and one look at her classroom tells you this has been a long time coming.

Science. Reading. Writing. Music. Art. Every child's name on the wall. A room built with love and intention by someone who clearly takes this work seriously.

The CDA recognizes what Beatriz already knew about herself. Help us wish Beatriz congratulations!

05/27/2026

At 15, Tatjyana Elmore got promoted at McDonald's. Someone saw a leader in her and said so.

She never forgot it. That moment sparked something that eventually led her from corporate America to the presidency of BCDI Atlanta, a 45-year-old nonprofit. She started over more than once. Got her CDA® credential. Built a career that looks nothing like the one her mother imagined for her. And loved every step of it.

Episode 09 of Council Table is live. This clip is where her whole story comes together.
Listen here: https://bit.ly/4dKcIxJ

The biggest barrier to earning a CDA® is often not a lack of motivation. It is not having the right support around you w...
05/26/2026

The biggest barrier to earning a CDA® is often not a lack of motivation. It is not having the right support around you when things get hard.

Metropolitan Community College in Omaha built something to fix that. A self-paced, fully supported CDA pathway where educators get a mentor coach from day one, bilingual support, weekly workshops where moms can bring their kids, and a team that shows up at every step of the process.

"We're in the people business," says instructor Deanna Peterson.

Part 1 of 2. Come back tomorrow to meet one of the educators this program served.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4dvWSIo

05/25/2026

Two leaders. Two paths no one could have predicted. One conversation about what leadership in early childhood education actually requires.

Dr. Keon Berry and Tatjyana Elmore join the Council Table this Wednesday. One ran from leadership until life had other plans. The other went from McDonald's to president of a 45-year-old nonprofit by trusting a passion her mom tried to redirect.

This one is worth the wait. Episode 09 drops on Wednesday. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/48D6yOg

It's back! The Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act has officially been reintroduced in Congress. Led by Senator Je...
05/22/2026

It's back! The Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act has officially been reintroduced in Congress.

Led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Lucy McBath (D-GA), the bill would invest in the future of the early childhood workforce by expanding high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways for aspiring educators.

This legislation would provide competitive grants to partnerships between colleges, child care providers, and community organizations to establish, support, and expand ECE-focused CTE programs. These programs would help students gain valuable classroom experience while working toward credentials such as the CDA®.

The bill also includes wraparound services, making it easier for aspiring educators to complete their education and enter the workforce prepared to succeed.

Contact your legislator now to ask them to add their name to the bill: https://bit.ly/3PEVo5k

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