Second Setting Credential Process Ends on May 31, 2013

Anyone interested in obtaining a Second Setting Credential under the present Council Guidelines must apply by May 31, 2013. 

Starting on June 1, 2013, under the new CDA 2.0 Assessment System a second full credentialing process will be necessary to obtain a credential in a different setting.

For further information, please contact Vilma Williams via email at vilmaw@cdacouncil.org  or by phone at 202-265-9090 ext. 225

Don't forget the CDA Renewal Amnesty program - Renew today!

Each initial CDA has an expiration date and must be renewed in order to stay active (within three years for an initial CDA and five years for a renewed CDA). If you do not renew before the expiration date you may have to "start over" and do all of the hard work it took you to get your first CDA rather than go through the much easier, faster, less expensive renewal process.


The Renewal Amnesty Program allows all who have earned or renewed a CDA in the last ten years to apply for Renewal, even if their CDA has expired. If your CDA has a credential date of January 2002 or later, you are eligible for Renewal Amnesty.

Take advantage of the CDA Renewal Amnesty program before it's too late!

Even if you don't need to renew, please be sure to let your colleagues with CDAs know about the program. The Renewal Amnesty program ends this December. We wouldn't want anyone to miss out on this great opportunity so please act now!

Click here to learn how to renew www.cdacouncil.org/renewal

Training Opportunity

Orientation on Professional Development Opportunities
Tuesday, March 20th from 6:30 pm -8:30 pm
Class is FREE! Please call (317) 636-5727 to preregister

This workshop provides deep understanding of ways you can obtain professional development hours and credits in the state of Indiana. The workshop will provide information on different routes to obtain Child Development Associate (CDA) training, articulating the credential into an associate degree in early childhood education/child development at Ivy Tech Community College. The workshop will provide comprehensive overview of accessibility and location of colleges and universities in the state of Indiana that offer associate and bachelor degree levels. In addition, the workshop provides information on state scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

Take a Moment to Reflect on... Safety

In our last article we discussed the importance of intentionality. We said that the ultimate purpose for being a reflective practitioner is to become an intentional practitioner; in other words, teachers or caregivers who regularly think about what they do can be purposeful in the choices they make with children, families, coworkers and supervisors.

Safety
The Council is excited to announce that later this year we will release the newly-revised third edition of the landmark textbook Essentials for Child Development Associates Working with Young Children. The new Essentials will provide all of the most current research, information, ideas and strategies needed by entry-level early childhood professionals. The textbook will be organized around each of the thirteen Functional Areas, along with new information about reflection, intentionality, observation, documentation and other key topics of interest to contemporary teachers and caregivers.

Here is an advanced sneak peek of “Chapter 1: Safe” for you to reflect on…

Providing a safe environment for children is the starting point of every quality early childhood program. If children are not safe in your program, it makes no difference what kind of curriculum you offer. Children cannot learn if they are afraid, in danger or unable to trust that nothing bad will happen to them while in your care. Ask any parent with a child in preschool or child care what their most important concerns are and safety is almost always at the top of the list - right up there with accessibility and affordability. Children's safety is your first priority as a caregiver or teacher and a responsibility you cannot ignore

In order to keep young children safe you must:

Be sure that the physical environment is safe. This means checking both your indoor and outdoor play spaces every day to confirm that they are hazard-free and that they conform to recognized standards for safety.
Teach and prepare children to be safe in their everyday lives. This involves learning about safety rules and being introduced to specific safety measures.
Have well-thought-out emergency plans in place. This also involves preparing children to face unknown emergencies so that you can reduce danger and injury.
Model safe practices. This means demonstrating for children how to behave in ways that are safe and how to stay calm when emergencies arise.
Invite parents to be your partners in keeping their children safe. This is important because it shows children that safety is valued both by you and at home.

Please take a moment to reflect on your own teaching practices. What else might you add to the above list? How do you ensure children’s safety? What tips and strategies would you share with others for teaching safety practices, for keeping children safe, for modeling safe practices and for educating and involving families in their children’s safety?

Send your thoughts to reflect@cdacouncil.org

CDA: IS IT FOR ME?

What Are the Steps to Obtaining my CDA?

1. Determine what training route and means is right for you
   


2. Successfully complete the CDA training



3. Request to take and successfully pass the CDA assessment to earn the CDA credential from the Council for Professional Recognition (http://www.cdacouncil.org/ )
   


4. Renew the CDA as required by the Council for Professional Recognition
   
   

What are my CDA OPTIONS?
While there are lots of places to get CDA training, the training is delivered in three basic ways: through a college or university; through a local approved organization or agency; and online. Some options to earn a CDA include…

• Formal CDA (for college credits)--You can contact Ivy Tech (Rose- 921-4403); there are TEACH (356-6884) scholarship dollars available; the student pay 10% and TEACH pays 90% if they qualify.



• Non-Formal CDA (120 clock hours with no college credits as you go through the process)
  Online: You can go to http://www.blogger.com/www.childcareanswers.com ; click on the link across the top that says Provider, then on the CDA link on the right side - the cost is $299 payable prior to starting the class (no scholarships available), students are able to work at their own rate and are able to begin the process at any time.
  Care Courses online CDA classes http://www.carecoures.com/
  120 clock hour class: Our CDA classes meet one night a week (3 hours) and 1 Saturday a month (6 hours). If you qualify for a scholarship the cost is $100; without a scholarship the cost is $1196

Child Care Answers has classes starting in January, however you must register now and attend a CDA orientation class... contact Vanessa at 317 636-5727, ext. 241 or vanessaf@childcareanswers.com

CDA RENEWAL OPPORTUNITY

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP!

The start date for the Child Care Answers CDA renewal session : "Challenging Behaviors, Laying the Foundation for Success" has been pushed back. We cannot begin this training until we have met a minimum number of participants. There is still time to register.

If you need to renew your CDA certificate, or are interested in learning more about positive guidance and discipline and Positive Behavior Support systems, please contact our office for information about this exciting training opportunity.

The class is slated to be held on the north side of Marion County from 6:30-9:30 PM on Tuesday evenings.

For registration information please contact Vanessa Fletcher at 636-5757 X 241.

STILL TIME TO REGISTER

The Indianapolis Area Chapter of Indiana AEYC is hosting a training series based on the Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards. Participants will observe and participate in activities that support the Foundations. Participants will take home new ideas and earn .25 CEU's per session (CEU's sponsored by Ivy Tech and can be used for any professional continuing education requirement that recognizes university credits - including CDA renewal).

Sessions run from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at The NMC Building Fourth Floor auditorium at Ivy Tech in downtown Indianapolis. Pre-registration is required, however there is no registration deadline for the individual sessions. Fee is $10 per session.

January 31, 2009 - Orientation to the Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards
(This session is the same presentation as the Child Care Answers training. If you have already attended this training through Child Care Answers or another of the CCR&R agencies, simply mail in a copy of your certificate and you can receive .25 CEU's.)

February 28, 2009 - Math/ Science Foundations

March 21, 2009 - Social Studies/ Physical Education and Health Foundations

Date TBA (either April 18 or April 25) - English Language Arts Foundations

May 16, 2009 - Visual Arts/ Music Foundations.

Participants can attend any one session, or all sessions. Copies of the Foundations to the Indiana
Academic Standards will be included in the registration fee for the FIRST session on January 31. If you do not attend this session you are responsible for bringing your own copy of the Foundations.

For registration information please contact Diane Smith at Ivy Tech. dlsmith@ivytech.edu or 317-917-5986.