Accreditation and Credentialing
 For Informational Purposes Only

ACCREDITATION

The National Association for Family Day Care (NAFDC) accredits child care homes that offer high quality services. Accreditation offers professional recognition and consumer distinction to providers who meet high standards through consistency and dedication. Accreditation is intended for providers who demonstrate a commitment to reach beyond minimum licensing requirements to achieve standards of excellence.

Accreditation criteria assess seven dimensions of child care:

  • Indoor safety
  • Health
  • Nutrition
  • Interacting
  • Indoor play environment
  • Outdoor play environment
  • Professional responsibility

To be eligible for accreditation, you must be currently caring for children as a child care provider in your own home for a minimum of 18 months. If you are new to the child care home business, use the accreditation standards as a guide in planning your business. In Oklahoma, your child care home must meet licensing standards before it can be accredited. You must submit documentation of licensing when you apply for accreditation.

The accreditation process includes a provider assessment which is a good exercise for any child care home. It helps you consider the strengths and weaknesses of your business. For accreditation, your self-assessment is validated by two outside individuals. The cost of accreditation is $150 and payable in two installments. Some companies, such as Du Pont, and local agencies offer financial assistance for programs seeking accreditation. Ask the resource and referral agency in your area for help with funding accreditation.

For more information on accrediting, contact:
The National Association for Family Day Care
725 15th St. N.W., Suite 505
Washington, D.C. 20005
202-347-3356
800-359-3817


FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR ACCREDITATION

If you provide care for the children of Conoco employees, you may apply for financial help with the accreditation process. Du Pont's Flying Colors program:

- reimburses NAFDC application and validation fees.

- helps family child care homes overcome obstacles to accreditation.

- funds continued program enrichment.

- supports parent education on the differences between licensing and accreditation.

Contact:
Work Force Partnering Division
Employees Relations Department
Room N 12506-5, Nemours Building
Wilmington, DE 19801


THE CDA CREDENTIAL

The child development associate (CDA) is a person who is able to meet the specific needs of children. Child development associates work with parents and other adults to nurture children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth. The CDA credential is awarded to child care providers and home visitors who have demonstrated their skills in working with young children and their families by successfully completing the CDA assessment process.

The CDA is a credential, not a degree. It usually involves one year of preparation and assessment. Two-year colleges can assist you in preparing for a CDA. They also award Associate of Arts degrees in child development The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition awards the CDA credential.

There are several CDA options:

Center-Based Setting
Infant/ Toddler or Preschool Endorsement
English only or English/ Spanish

Family Day Care Home Setting
English only or English/Spanish

Home Visitor Setting
English only or English/Spanish


QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for the CDA, a child care home must meet Oklahoma Licensing standards. The candidate must be 18 years or older, must have a high school diploma or equivalent, and need 480 hours (about one year full time) of experience working with children within the past five years.


OBSERVATION

A qualified CDA adviser must observe the child care home provider in the home working as the primary care provider for at least two children five year old or younger. The candidate and the children must not be related by blood, marriage, or other legal relationship.


TRAINING

Requirements include 120 clock hours of training with at least 10 hours in each of eight areas:

  • Health and safety
  • Physical and intellectual development
  • Social and emotional development
  • Relationships with families
  • Program operation
  • Professionalism
  • Observing and recording children's behavior
  • Child growth and development

Candidates must prepare a professional resource file that includes their biography, statements of competence, and a resource collection. Candidates collect parent opinion questionnaires. In the final stage of assessment, candidates take the early childhood studies review and complete an interview with a council representative.


FEES

The application fee is $15 plus $2.75 shipping and handling. The final verification fee is $325. Scholarships are available from:

Oklahoma Early Childhood Association
P.O. Box 551
Claremore, OK 74018-0551

Child Care Careers
4435 N.W. 36th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
800-580-5251

For further information and to make application to begin the credentialing process, contact:

The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition
1341 G St. N.W., Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20005-3105
800-424-4310
 
 

Legal:

Please note that the child care providers listed with TLC Child Care Locators (ChildCareCenters.org) are listings only and are not recommendations.  The information provided by TLC Child Care Locators is believed to have come from reliable sources, including the facilities themselves or those open to the public domain.  However, the facilities shown are listings only.  In no way does TLC Child Care Locators, any site partners, or any sponsors endorse, license, nor otherwise recommend lists found on TLC Child Care Locators Web Site.  TLC Child Care Locators exists as a first step for parents, and is not intended as a recommendation of any kind.  We encourage you to contact the sources themselves for the most accurate information.  We also encourage you to contact local Day Care Licensing Agencies to check records of Child Care Providers that you are considering.