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By Vanessa
Rasmussen, © 2004, All rights reserved.
Website: http://www.startingadaycarecenter.com
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The
Child Development Associate Program is aimed
at individuals interested in studying the
process of development of young children
and would like to teach such children at
childcare facilities. Participants in this
program learn the basic principles of early
childhood education and class discussions
are varied to include topics such as safety,
health, learning environments, discipline,
family involvement, child development, professionalism,
and so on. |
People holding
a CDA can apply for jobs as child care providers
at day care centers or start their own child
care service. In order for an applicant to be
eligible for this program, he / she must:
- Have at least
a High School Degree
- Be at least
18 years of age
- Have a minimum
of 480 hours of prior experience of working
with young children
Information brochures
and application packages for the CDA program
are generally available at all local preschools,
and day care centers. Once you apply for the
CDA program, you should complete 120 hours of
formal training of working with young children
within 5 years. This training can be completed
at any institution for childcare such as childcare
colleges, referral agencies, workshops, childcare
centers, and so forth.
The Childcare
training comprises of 8 major areas. In order
to complete the CDA program successfully, you
must obtain a minimum of 10 hours training in
each of these areas, listed below.
- Planning
a safe, healthy, learning environment.
- Steps to advance
children's physical and intellectual development.
- Positive ways
to support children's social and emotional
development.
- Strategies
to establish productive relationships with
families.
- Strategies
to manage an effective program operation.
- Maintaining
a commitment to professionalism.
- Observing
and recording children's behavior.
- Principles
of child growth and development.
The next step
is to apply for Assessment. The application
form for this will be provided in the CDA package.
To be eligible for assessment you must have
an advisor supervise you. The advisor needs
to study your behavior with kids for 2 hours
and submit his / her report. The application
package would contain an assessment booklet
that the advisor needs to complete and sign
within 6 months of applying for assessment.
Also, ask parents of children who are under
you to fill up the Parent Questionnaires.
Finally, you
need to complete the Professional Resource File
also provided with the application. Once you
have 120 hours of training, completed and signed
assessment report, and the professional resource
file, you may apply for CDA to a National Representative.
Details would be included in the CDA package.
You will soon
hear from the National Representative, who will
then administer a written test and oral interview.
The National Representative would also collect
all documents mentioned above along with a copy
of competency goal statements. All these will
then be sent to the Council for Professional
Recognition that will review your application
and decide whether you would be issued a CDA
credential.
Copyright
2001, 2004. All rights reserved. Any reproduction
of this article in whole or in part without
written or verbal permission is strictly prohibited.
For information about reprinting this article,
contact the copyright owner: Vanessa Rasmussen,
Ph.D, Starting a Day Care Center, http://www.startingadaycarecenter.com.
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