Ensuring quality care for children is paramount in any society, and in Florida, this is reflected in stringent regulations governing child care facilities. One significant aspect of these regulations is the requirement for child care personnel to hold certain credentials.
Legal Compliance
In Florida, licensed child care facilities are mandated to have at least one credentialed child care personnel for every 20 children.
Large Family Child Care Home Operators must possess a Staff Credential Verification.
This means that without the necessary credentials, child care providers risk non-compliance with state regulations, potentially leading to penalties or even closure of their facilities.
Florida Child Care Staff Credential Verification Application
Child care personnel must complete the Florida Child Care Staff Credential Verification Application, in order to verify they have met qualifications. Verification will be documented on the Child Care Training Transcript, which is the only documentation used by licensing to determine compliance with the #staff credential requirement.
Credentialed Personnel
A credentialed child care personnel is defined as a child care professional who has been issued a Staff Credential Verification documented on the individual’s Training Transcript.
To qualify for a staff credential, a child care professional may have:
- An active National Early Childhood Credential (NECC).
The National Early Childhood Credential includes the National Child Development Associate (CDA) or any other #early-childhood credential that meets or exceeds the requirements of the National CDA and is recognized by regulatory agencies in at least five (5) states.
Training Exemptions
Currently, the Department of Children and Families recognizes the following credential as one way of meeting the definition of a National Early Childhood Certificate:
Child care personnel who possess an active National Early Childhood Credential (NECC) will be exempt from the Health, Safety, and Nutrition; Child Growth and Development; and Behavioral Observation and Screening required courses.
Benefits of CDA online training with ChildCareEd
ChildCareEd’s CDA online classes are offered in a self-paced format. This provides an ease of use that can be accessed from anywhere at any time for easy and convenient learning.
In addition, ChildCareEd offers:
- CDA resources to assist in the #development of your portfolio.
- To support learners with various needs and from all cultures and backgrounds, ChildCareEd offers online training in over 40 different text #languages.
- ChildCareEd has created the CDA Club - Peers & PD Specialists, a public Facebook group where you can connect with like-minded individuals, access valuable resources, and stay informed about the latest updates.