Quality & curriculum

CDA credential

Child Development Associate

The CDA is a widely recognised entry-level early childhood education credential, requiring coursework, documented classroom hours, a portfolio, an observation, and an exam. Many states accept it as the qualification standard for a lead teacher.

CDAs must be renewed periodically, and lapsed credentials can put a classroom out of compliance if the role requires one.

Some QRIS systems award points for the proportion of staff holding a CDA or higher.

How Childcarious handles this

Employee profiles, time tracking, scheduling, classroom assignments, and role-based access for your team.

Staff Management

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