Child Development Associate

• Prepare to earn your Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ from the Council for Professional Recognition
• Earn 12 college credits toward your Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Early Childhood degree
• Gain the required qualifications to be a lead teacher in a daycare setting

The microcredential consists of two classes (ECH 131 and ECH 132), which must be taken in sequence. Most students will complete both in two semesters or one academic year.

You should be prepared to devote 4 hours per week to coursework in order to earn the required 120 training hours for the CDA credential.

ECH 131 and ECH 132 are hybrid asynchronous (HYA) courses. They contain a mixture of face-to-face meetings and independent online work.

You will also be assigned a fieldwork supervisor to observe your work in the field.

You will be responsible for paying tuition and fees for 6 credit hours per semester. The current tuition rate and fees can be found here. 

DCC offers payment plans to break the cost into monthly installments. You can also check with your employer to see if they offer tuition assistance or reimbursement.

One scholarship opportunity to be aware of is the Education Incentive Program (EIP) for daycare providers. You can view the information here.