About The Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential
The following information is taken directly from the Council for professional Recognition’s web page:
The Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ is based on a core set of competency standards, which guide early care professionals as they work toward becoming qualified teachers of young children. The Council works to ensure that the nationally-transferable CDA is a credible and valid credential, recognized by the profession as a vital part of professional development.
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. Put simply, CDAs know how to nurture the emotional, physical, intellectual, and social development of children.
Becoming a CDA is a big commitment, but one that creates confident practitioners with command of today’s best practices for teaching young children.
What CDA Certified Teachers Mean To Country Home
Now, we know what the CDA is and what certified teachers can bring to the classroom. Yet, we still wanted to know what kind of direct impact hiring CDA certified teachers is making at our centers. We reached out to our directors and administrators, the one working one-on-one with the teachers, to get a better idea of what it means to have CDA certified teachers in their schools.
Curriculum Development Coordinators Catherine O’Brien and Diane Harper responded to our questions with a wonderful explanation of why we hire CDA certified teachers, and why we encourage the rest of our teachers to become certified:
Teachers that obtain their CDA certification are trained in developmentally appropriate practices. This training gives them a more knowledgeable understanding of child growth and development; therefore, they are able to provide engaging, hands-on learning experiences that are aligned with current child development trends. The use of CDA certified teachers in the classroom improves our facility by encouraging child-initiated learning. This means that learning and fun are taking place at the same time within each of the areas the children visit throughout the day, including our computer and technology lab, library and discovery room, as well as, our creative outdoor learning centers.
Research has shown that a well-trained and educated teachers are the key to providing quality care in an early childhood setting. Country Home Learning Center places a high priority on hiring and promoting CDA certified teachers in every age group within each of our centers. We pride ourselves on offering opportunities for professional growth and development by encouraging all of our teachers to seek certification. Our dedication to having CDA certified teachers in all of the classrooms is one way we meet and exceed the national standards for teacher quality in early childhood education.
We hope this gives you a much better idea of what it means when you hear your child is CDA certified, and why we hire and promote CDA certified teachers at Country Home. If you have any questions about CDA certification, leave a comment below and we’d be happy to help. If you are a CDA certified teacher and are seeking employment, we’d love to talk to you. Click the employment link at the top of the page and get in touch.
Missed the previous Your Child’s Care & Education posts? No Problem. Jump to the other posts to view information about our other certifications and accreditation.
Part 1: AdvancED Accreditation
Part 3: Eco Healthy Child Care
Part 4: Texas Rising Stars