Minimum Education Requirements
Child care licensing regulations require members of the DC early childhood workforce to meet minimum education requirements based on their position. Effective Dec. 20, 2023, a center director can meet the education requirement by meeting one of the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education (ECE) or closely related field; OR
- Bachelor’s degree in any subject area with at least 12 credit hours in ECE.
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NOTE: Credit hours can only be earned by completing college credit hours through an accredited college or university. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) also considers holding a valid Child Development Associate (CDA) credential as satisfying the requirement for 12 hours of college credit in ECE. To obtain a CDA credential, a CDA candidate is required to complete 120 clock hours of coursework and successfully complete 480 hours of work experience, a professional portfolio, a passing score on the CDA exam, and a verification visit from a professional development specialist. Completing only CDA coursework does not qualify an early educator as meeting requirements for 12 hours of college credit in ECE.
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More information on the regulations that outline the education requirement for center directors can be found here.
Programs
The following is a list of bachelor’s degree programs, including on-campus, online and or hybrid degree programs and resources available in the Washington, DC area. This list is neither exhaustive nor an indication of endorsement by OSSE.
|
University |
Information on Bachelor’s Degree Program |
Program Point of Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic University of America |
Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies |
Dr. Cynthia Sanders |
| University of District of Columbia (UDC) | Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood (pre-K through grade 3) |
Professor Ayanna C. Kelley |
| Gallaudet University |
Bachelor of Arts in Education with Specialization in Early Childhood Education |
Thangi Appanah Department of Education Undergraduate Program Director (202) 651-5530 Thangi.Appanah@gallaudet.edu |
| Trinity Washington University | Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood (pre-K through grade 3) |
Cynthia Bond |
| Rasmussen University |
Mackenzie McFadden |
|
| University of Potomac |
Marcia Holmes |
The following is a list CDA programs available in the Washington, DC area. This list is neither exhaustive nor an indication of endorsement by OSSE.
| Organization | Information on CDA Program | Program Point of Contact |
| University of the District of Columbia-Community College | Workforce Development Program | Crystal Randall Pathway Director (202) 276-6769 Crystal.Randall@udc.edu |
| Southeast Children’s Fund | CDA Training and Preparation Program | Kamila Johnson CDA Program Manager (202) 561-5500 (202) 406-0422 southeastcda@gmail.com |
| CentroNía | CDA Training and Preparation Program | Alfredo Monterrey Bilingual CDA Coordinator (202) 332-4200 Ext. 1142 (202) 332-4200 Ext. 1021 (202) 948-6851 amonterrey@centronia.org |
| Briya Public Charter School and Mary’s Center | CDA Program | Mau Castro-Trujillo CDA Program Manager (202) 420-7034 mcastro@briya.org |
| American University | CDA Program | Gabrielle Harris Assistant Director, CDA Program of Studies (202) 885-8830 harris@american.edu |
Resources Available
|
Program |
Program Information |
Program Point of Contact |
|---|---|---|
| DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) | DCTAG is a student-level grant program that provides grants of up to $10,000 toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public colleges and universities to eligible DC residents. |
Kenneth McGhee |
| DC Futures Program | The DC Futures Program helps DC college students complete their first associate or bachelor’s degree by providing a last-dollar scholarship (tuition, fees and cost of attendance) at three local universities in addition to college coaching and support services that will address personal and financial barriers to completion for all participants. |
DC Futures Team |
| Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program | The DC Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program provides need-based funding for eligible DC residents earning their first associate or bachelor’s degree at select area colleges and universities. |
Melanie Fleming |
| DC Leading Educators toward Advanced Degrees (DC LEAD) Program | The DC LEAD program provides scholarships and incentives to child care educators in the District of Columbia to complete coursework toward an associate and/or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. |
Emmett Irby |
| Advancing Early Education Collaborative | The Advancing Early Education Collaborative (AEEC) is an initiative between the American University School of Education, Trinity Washington University, LIFT-DC and Martha’s Table. The partnership provides Black and Latinx women who live or work in wards 7 or 8 with an academic pathway across institutions and wrap-around supports that help students navigate, graduate and enter careers in early learning. |
Gabrielle Harris Michael Rowe |
| Higher Education Incentive (HEI) Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Scholarship | The HEI TAP scholarship is designed to support teachers and assistant teachers who work at least 25 hours a week at child development facility licensed by OSSE or public or public charter school providing care and education to infants, toddlers, preschoolers and students up to third grade in the DC. The HEI TAP scholarship supports participants to complete coursework at UDC. |
Rosa Moraes |