The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning (DEL) is pleased to announce the CDA Training and Preparation Program Grant application, under which OSSE will select up to two grantees. The $600,000 CDA Training and Preparation Program Grant aims to increase the number of early childhood professionals in the District with the CDA credential by providing courses, supports and funded scholarships for individuals to earn or renew the CDA credential issued by the Council for Professional Recognition.

The selected grantee(s) will:

• Provide comprehensive instruction and support to CDA scholars, from the initial enrollment application through attainment of the CDA credential;
• Support job placement for CDA candidates not already working in the field;
• Market and promote the program to the workforce and conduct outreach activities to recruit target population(s), including individuals who speak a primary language other than English;
• Identify eligible recipients of the CDA Training and Preparation Program scholarship and ensure scholars meet eligibility requirements and complete the preliminary steps for enrollment;
• Provide full-scale CDA instruction for approximately 11 initial CDA cohort groups with a minimum enrollment of 30 participants per cohort, reaching a total of 330 participants virtually or in-person annually;
• Offer approximately two renewal CDA cohort groups annually with a minimum enrollment of 50 participants, reaching a total of 100 participants annually; and
• Offer a minimum of 50 non-cohort (Quorum) scholarships to be offered throughout each fiscal year. Cohorts should be operated at least once per quarter, if not more frequently.

The CDA Training and Preparation Program grantee(s) will be selected through a competitive process. Eligible applicants must demonstrate expertise in the District’s early childhood education landscape, experience providing CDA training and preparation programs and expertise in business and financial management. Organizations/applicants must establish eligibility by submitting an application to OSSE in accordance with the relevant program statute(s) and the request for application (RFA).

Application Submissions

The CDA Training and Preparation Program Grant application will open Friday, June 17, 2022, and will be available through OSSE’s Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). To access the application, prospective applicants must be registered vendors in EGMS. New vendors should allot a least 72 hours for the registration process.

Applicants must submit the application through EGMS by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. OSSE will not accept or review applications submitted at or after 3:01 p.m. on Aug. 2, 2022.

Pre-Application Webinar

A pre-application webinar will be held on from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate. To register, please email Alexis Williams, program manager, Grants and Financial Services, at [email protected].

Agency Contact

For questions related to the CDA Training and Preparation Program Grant competition, contact:

Alexis Williams

Program Manager

Grants and Financial Services

Division of Early Learning

Telephone: (202) 741-7637

Email: [email protected]