Are you interested in pursuing your CDA? Child Care Resource can help!
We offer 4 30-hour courses that can fulfill the 120 required training hours:Stepping Stones to Achieving a Child Development Associate credential (CDA)

Funding may be available through VSAC for qualifying individuals. Please contact them for more information. (Contact information is on the registration forms.) VSAC's fiscal year begins July 1st, so please review these courses and your financial needs and qualifications early as you may be able to apply for two of them at the same time early within their fiscal year for funding consideration).

1st Class - Child Development (next offering April, 2013)

Participants will analyze behaviors associated with the stages of child development including birth, infancy, childhood, and early adolescence. Participants will examine patterns and theories of development and behavior. Included is the preparation of a case study of an individual child. CDA  Areas 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8. (This course also currently meets the State of VT child care licensing requirement for a 30 hour course in Child Development for staff working as child care assistants in licensed early childhood programs within the first year of employment.)

Fundamentals (see description below) is sometimes offered in place of Child Development. (now being held) 

2nd Class - Creating an Environment for Learning (September, 2013)

This course focuses on an introduction to the field of teaching and learning. Educational materials will be explored in relationship to the participant's teaching environment and experiences. Participants will examine a variety of career choices and programs in education. Child, parent, and teacher communication is also a strong component of this class. CDA Areas 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. Location: Essex Tech Center

3rd Class - Essential Elements of Curriculum (next offering September, 2012)

Participants will examine developmentally appropriate curriculum based on their observations of children. There will be specific focus on play-based, child-centered, and emergent curriculum. Students will examine strategies for collecting objective information and observations that will be used as the basis for organization of space, materials, equipment, and considerations of health and safety issues.

4th Class - Program Planning (next offering January, 2013)

This course is for anyone who has daily interactions with parents or teachers, plans, does record keeping, holds parent conferences, works with young children, and strives to maintain a professional attitude. Participants will develop a working philosophy, supportive policies, and skill for building partnerships with teachers and parents. CDA Areas, 4, 5, and 6.

Each course runs for 10 weeks, with 1 evening class of 3 hours each week. The dates of individual courses will be published in CCR workshop schedules and newsletters.

• The tuition for each course is $175. This includes a $25 book deposit fee which will be refunded at the end of class when books are returned. Scholarship assistance may be available through VSAC; call (802) 654-3750 for more information and to see if you qualify for a non-degree grant.

Upon completion of all 4 courses you will have the 120 clock hours required in the training area of the CDA credential. However, there are many other components that are involved in the CDA process. For more information, go to www.cdacouncil.org or call our Professional Development Coordinator at (802) 863-3367, Ext. 40. We would be happy to discuss the process with you and connect you with a CDA mentor to work with you through each step of the CDA process.

Fundamentals (next offering in March, 2013)

This is a 45-hour course offered once a year. This course will meet the licensing requirement for those looking to meet the qualifications for working as a child care assistant in a licensed center and is a great start for people new to the field. The course is designed to mesh with the Vermont Northern Lights Career Development Center's professional development system and is a foundational course for early educators, including those beginning the CDA process. The tuition for this course is also $175, which includes the $25 book deposit fee to be refunded at the end of the class when books are handed back in.

This course is offered once a year, sometimes in place of Child Development, since it does also meet the licensing requirement for working in certain positions in licensed centers.

For more helpful information about the CDA process, please visit www.cdacouncil.org or contact Meghan Flanders.