Oklahoma Certificate of Achievement and Stipend Program - post

Early childhood professionals in Oklahoma have an excellent opportunity to advance their skills while earning financial recognition for their dedication to professional growth. The Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement and Stipend Program, administered by the Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CECPD), supports child care professionals who complete approved training in key areas of #early-childhood education.

Through this program, early childhood #educators can earn a certificate of achievement and receive a stipend while strengthening the quality of care and education they provide to young children.

What Is the Oklahoma Certificate of Achievement and Stipend Program?

The Certificate of Achievement and Stipend Program was created to recognize and reward early childhood professionals who participate in ongoing professional #development. By completing approved training hours in designated areas of concentration, participants can demonstrate their commitment to improving #early-learning environments and supporting children’s development.

Participants who complete the program requirements may qualify for a $600 stipend, helping acknowledge their time and effort in strengthening their professional skills.

Eligibility Requirements

To participate in the program, early childhood professionals must meet several eligibility criteria, including:

• Being employed in a DHS-licensed child care program with a valid K8 number
• Working at least 30 hours per week in an eligible position
• Being employed at their current facility for at least six consecutive months
• Maintaining an active account in the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry
• Completing 30 hours of approved professional development in a selected area of concentration

Eligible positions include teachers, assistant teachers, master teachers, family child care providers, directors, assistant directors, and other qualified roles within early childhood programs.

Areas of Concentration

The program offers certificates for completing at least 30 hours of approved training in one of several areas of concentration designed to support #early-childhood-educators and programs. These include:

• Approaches to Challenging Behavior
• Better Business in Family Child Care
• Childhood Resiliency
• Creating Effective Literacy Environments
• Cultivating Growth and Well-Being
• Healthy Children
• Infant and Toddler
• Preschool
• Quality Child Care
• School Age
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Each concentration area focuses on a specific aspect of #early-childhood-education, allowing professionals to deepen their knowledge and skills in the topics most relevant to their work.

ChildCareEd Courses Approved for the Program

ChildCareEd offers a wide variety of professional development courses that have been approved to fulfill training hours in certain Oklahoma Certificate of Achievement concentration areas. These courses are designed to be practical, engaging, and directly applicable to early childhood classrooms and programs.

Approaches to Challenging Behavior

ChildCareEd provides several courses that help early childhood educators understand and effectively respond to challenging behaviors in young children. These courses support teachers in creating positive #classroom-environments while promoting social and emotional development.

Examples of approved courses include:

• Going Head-to-Head with Challenging Behavior
• Heart-to-Heart Communication: Challenging Behaviors
• Mysteries of Challenging Behavior Solved
• The ABCs of Behavior: Turning Challenges into Learning Opportunities
• Power of Art: Building Self-Esteem & Positive Behavior for All Abilities

These courses explore topics such as behavior guidance, communication strategies, emotional development, and positive behavior supports.

Additional ChildCareEd Training Opportunities

ChildCareEd also offers courses aligned with several other concentration areas in the Oklahoma program, including:

Better Business in Family Child Care

• Business Planning: Family Child Care

Creating Effective Literacy Environments

• Classroom Tools for Emergent Literacy
• Language Development in Early Childhood

Cultivating Growth and Well-Being

• The Science of Growing Up: Typical and Atypical Development
• Theories on How I Grow

Healthy Children

• Preventative Health and Safety
• Safe and Sound: Creating Healthy Environments for Every Child

Infant and Toddler

• Positive Attention: Infants and Toddlers
• The First Year: Feeding Infants

Preschool

• Understanding Print Knowledge in Preschool
• 45-Hour Preschool Curriculum

Quality Child Care

• Classroom Arrangement: The Second Teacher
• Classroom Designers ONLINE

School Age

• Individual Needs & IEPs for School Age
• Super Special School Agers ONLINE

These training options allow educators to select courses that align with their professional interests and meet program requirements.

How the Stipend Works

Once an educator completes the required training hours and submits the necessary documentation, their application is reviewed by CECPD staff. After approval, participants may receive a $600 stipend, typically issued by paper check or electronic funds transfer.

Applicants may be eligible for up to two stipends per calendar year, though only one stipend may be awarded per area of concentration during a participant’s lifetime.

Strengthening Early Childhood Education in Oklahoma

Programs like the Oklahoma Certificate of Achievement and Stipend Program play a vital role in strengthening the early childhood workforce. By encouraging educators to pursue meaningful professional development, the program helps improve the quality of care, learning environments, and outcomes for young children. 

With a wide range of approved courses available online, ChildCareEd makes it easy for early childhood professionals to complete required training hours and continue growing in their careers.