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How do I get a Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate in Florida?

Question:

How do I get a Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate in Florida?

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Answer:

The Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential is offered by the Council for Professional Recognition. This is a widely recognized national credential designed for early childhood educators. Someone with a CDA in Florida will qualify to apply for the Florida Child Care Staff Credential. Florida also considers the CDA to be interchangeable with the Child Development Associate Equivalency (CDAE) Certification. The Florida CDAE is awarded after attending a Florida Department of Children and Families approved education program.

To earn the national CDA, an applicant will choose which setting they will be working in from the following four: center-based preschool for ages 3 to 5, center-based toddler for ages birth to 36 months, family childcare for ages birth to 5 years, and home visitor for ages birth to five years. A minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent is required, or enrollment as a high school junior or senior in an early childhood education technical program. Applicants will also need to have completed 120 hours of education focused in the primary age group with which they will be working, including 10 training hours spent in each required CDA subject area. Professional work experience, a CDA professional portfolio, CDA verification visit, and CDA exam will need to be completed after submitting an application.

For more information on becoming a CDA, check out this article: Be a Child Development Associate: CDA Credentialing and Career Info

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