Become a Director

Step 1 — Meet the Basic Requirements

• Be at least 21 years old
• Hold a high school diploma or GED
• Have at least 12 months of experience in a licensed child care setting

Step 2 — Earn the Oklahoma Director's Credential (ODC) at Bronze Level Minimum

The ODC has two parts — an ECE knowledge requirement and an administration/management requirement.

ECE Knowledge — pick ONE:

• 6 credit hours in ECE/Child Development/School Age from an accredited college
• A valid CDA credential
• A valid CCP credential
• An Oklahoma Competency Certificate in ECE (Master Teacher Certificate)

Administration/Management — pick ONE:

• 3 credit hours in administration/management from an accredited college
• An approved administration credential
• 40 clock hours of approved administration/management training through OPDR

Step 3 — Maintain the ODC Annually

Renewal of the Oklahoma Director's Credential requires a minimum of 20 hours of job-related renewal training hours annually for Bronze level. No more than 6 clock-hours of informal professional development may count toward annual renewal hours. ELCCT cannot be used to meet ODC renewal criteria. Minnesota DCYF

The Fastest Realistic Path Starting from a High School Diploma

1. Get hired as a Teacher — no additional education needed beyond a high school diploma

2. Earn a CDA credential — satisfies the ECE knowledge requirement for Bronze ODC

• ChildCareEd offers CECPD-approved CDA programs including the CDA Preschool Credential with Portfolio Review and Birth to Five CDA Credential with Portfolio Review

3. Complete 40 admin/management clock hours — satisfies the administration requirement for Bronze ODC

• ChildCareEd offers a CECPD-approved 45 Hours Director-Administration course which covers and exceeds this requirement

4. Build 12 months of experience — working as a Teacher while completing steps 2 and 3

5. Apply for Bronze ODC through CECPD at cecpd.ou.edu

6. Get hired or promoted as Director

After Becoming Director — Staying Licensed

• Complete 20 hours of OPDR-approved training annually to renew the ODC
• ChildCareEd offers 200+ CECPD-approved courses mapped to Oklahoma Core Competency areas to meet this requirement every year