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Child Development Associate Certification Transfer Major

Program Description: The decision to work with preschool age children is one of the most important career decisions that one can make. A preschool teacher or caregiver is a special person in a child's life as the master new skills, develop friendships, grow independence, and move to new levels of thinking and understanding about themselves and the world. It is an exciting and challenging responsibility to set up a supportive learning environment for a group of preschoolers, develop a relationship with each one, and meet their needs as individuals and as a group. A child's learning experience during this period in their life can increase their self-confidence and readiness for elementary school.

Iowa Central's Child Development Associate Certification is designed for students planning to work with children in a preschool, infant/toddler, family daycare, or home visitor setting. Many child development associate positions require a Child Development Associate (CDA) license, issued by the Child Development Associate National Credentialing (CDANC) Association. The purpose if this national certification program is to enhance the quality of child care by defining, evaluating, and recognizing the competence of child care providers and home visitors. Students may complete the requirements for the CDA as they also work toward their AA Degree.

The course work in Iowa Central's Child Development Associate Certification is designed primarily for students seeking to complete the educational component required for the national Child Development Associate certification. The following curriculum is based primarily on eight major subject areas as stipulated by the Child Development Associate National Credentialing Program: (1) planning a safe, healthy learning environment; (2) steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development; (3) positive ways to support children's social and emotional development; (4) strategies to establish productive relationships with families; (5) strategies to manage and effective program operation; (6) maintaining a commitment to professionalism; (7) observing and recording children's behavior, and (8) principles of child growth and development.

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