Child Care Administration
Earn your CDA
Qualifications (§660-5-26) — Must meet ONE of these education + experience combinations:
- High school diploma or GED + 120 clock hours of child care training + at least 12 months of experience in a child care program
- CDA credential or CCP certificate + high school diploma or GED + at least 12 months of experience
- Associate degree in child development or early childhood education + at least 9 months of experience
- Bachelor's degree in child development or early childhood education + at least 6 months of experience
Annual Training
Directors in Alabama need at least 20 clock hours of training in administration and management and at least 4 clock hours of training in quality child care annually.
ChildCareEd Courses Approved:
ChildCareEd offers Child Care Administration, a 30-clock-hour training course covering program planning and development, professionalism and leadership, and developing and maintaining a successful program. ChildCareEd also offers the 120 hours of CDA training required to obtain a CDA — supporting both the director qualification (Option 1 or 2) and the annual 20+4 hour requirement.
