What are the benefits of having a CDA?

Attaining your CDA is just the beginning of your educational journey. It is the first step on the road to acquiring further education and degrees in the field. The acquisition of a CDA shows that you are a professional. You are someone who places importance on acquiring current knowledge and skills in your work with young children and families. An administrator preparing to hire staff will look for this credential as a sign of professionalism. The credential illustrates a certain level of knowledge acquired to work with young children. It also helps you to meet current State and National requirements.

Connecticut requires a person to have a CDA to work in the following program roles and settings;

• Head Teacher in a Department of Public Health (DPH) licensed center requires a current CDA plus 1080 hours of documented/supervised experience working with the age of children being served.
• Teacher in a publicly funded (Department of Education and/or Department of Social Services) preschool program must hold a current CDA credential PLUS 12 credits in early childhood education from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Teacher in a Head Start program requires a current CDA credential.