The CDA National Credentialing Program focuses on the skills of early care and education professionals.
The program is designed to provide performance-based training, assessment, and credentialing of Head Start, preschool, child care staff, home visitors, and family child care providers. The CDA Program represents a national effort to credential qualified caregivers that work with children from birth through age five.
A Child Development Associate is an individual who has successfully completed a CDA assessment and has been awarded the CDA Credential. She/He is able to meet the specific needs of children and work with parents and other adults to nurture children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth in a child development framework.
Anyone working in an early childhood program in Nebraska who has completed the required documentation as described in the application packet is eligible to apply for CDA Scholarship funds. These funds are for persons applying for an initial CDA credential or for persons renewing a CDA credential. The Nebraska Department of Education will pay the initial assessment fee of $325 or the renewal fee of $50. Individuals are responsible for paying the cost of the CDA application packet.
To order the application packet, contact:
Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition at 800-424-4310 or www.cdacouncil.org
* Funds for this project come from the Federal Child Care and Development Fund *
Anyone interested in applying for a CDA scholarship should follow the steps listed below.
Complete all documentation required by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition as indicated in the application packet. Individuals are responsible for paying the cost of the CDA application packet ($15.00 plus $2.75).
Complete the Direct Assessment Application found in the CDA application packet.
Send the completed Direct Assessment Application form with the completed Application for CDA Scholarship to the Nebraska Department of Education.
Department of Education staff will review each application. Upon approval, a check for the amount of assessment will be attached and mailed directly to the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition. Individuals will be contacted the the Council to schedule a date for the assessment.
The Office of Children and Families accepts applications on a quarterly basis. To be assessed during a specific quarter, applications should be received by the date indicated below.
Assessment of Occur - Quarterly Application
Deadline
1st: January, February, March October 15
2nd: April, May, June January 15
3rd: July, August, September April 15
4th: October, November, December July 15
Click below for the
CDA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
For questions regarding the CDA Scholarship Project, please contact:
LINDA MEYERS
NE Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood
301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: 402-471-2980
E-mail: linda.meyers@nebraska.gov
Office of Early Childhood
Nebraska Department of Education
301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: 402-471-3184 Fax: 402-471-0117
Webmaster:
heidi.thomas@nebraska.gov