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Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential

The Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential is earned by Early Childhood Educators who demonstrate the CDA Competencies. The Credential is administered by the Council for Professional Recognition.

CDA College Credit Scholarship

Eligibility

You may be eligible for assistance with college credits if you are a:

  • Type B Family Child Care Provider, Type A Family Child Care Provider, or teacher, assistant teacher, director, or owner employed in a licensed early care and learning program.
  • Work at least 30 hours per week with children**;
  • Agree to commit to staying at the program for a minimum of one year after completing scholarship.
  • Professionals must be at their sponsoring center for 90 days before they can apply.

Application

Please note: Beginning July 1, 2022, please complete T.E.A.C.H. application through the applications tab of your Ohio Professional Registry profile.  Scholars complete and submit the application to your program administrator.  The program administrator can access the application in the Applications tab of the Organization Dashboard.  Upon their approval, then the application to be reviewed by the T.E.A.C.H. Counselors.  Click to access the T.E.A.C.H. Application Organization Dashboard User Guide.

CDA Assessment Fee Scholarship

Eligibility

You may be eligible for the CDA Assessment Fee Scholarship if you:

  • Type B Family Child Care Provider, Type A Family Child Care Provider, or teacher, assistant teacher, director, or owner employed in a licensed early care and learning program.
  • Work at least 20 hours per week with children**;
  • Agree to commit to staying at the program for a minimum of six months after completing scholarship.
  • Professionals must be at their sponsoring center for 90 days before they can apply.
Benefits

All three partners in the Scholarship provide Benefits to each other. The partners are the Scholar (applying for CDA), the Sponsor (where the Scholar is employed in Child Care), and T.E.A.C.H. OHIO.

The T.E.A.C.H. scholarship provides the following Benefits to the Sponsors and Scholars.

  • Pays for the $425 Assessment Fee charged by the CDA Council
  • A $100 bonus if a CDA Credential is awarded by the Council.

The Sponsor** provides the following Benefits to the Scholar (some scholarship models vary):

  • A $100 bonus or 1% raise if a CDA Credential is awarded*

The Scholar provides the following Benefits to the Sponsor:

  • A commitment to work for at least 6 additional months at the Sponsoring program after being awarded the CDA Credential.

** Type B professionals do not have a Sponsor

Application

Please note: Beginning July 1, 2022, please complete T.E.A.C.H. application through the applications tab of your Ohio Professional Registry profile.  Scholars complete and submit the application to your program administrator.  The program administrator can access the application in the Applications tab of the Organization Dashboard.  Upon their approval, then the application to be reviewed by the T.E.A.C.H. Counselors.  Click to access the T.E.A.C.H. Application Organization Dashboard User Guide.

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