Minimum Education Requirements

Child care licensing regulations require members of the DC early childhood workforce to meet minimum education requirements based on their position. A home caregiver can meet the education requirement by meeting any one of the following:

• Child Development Associate (CDA); OR
• State-awarded certificate comparable to a CDA that is approved by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE); OR
• Associate degree (or higher) in early childhood education or equivalent; OR

  • Equivalent majors include: child and family studies, child development, child studies, developmental psychology, early care and education, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, early childhood studies, early learning and development, or human development.

• Completion of at least 60 credit hours or an associate degree (or higher) in any subject area with at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education.

  • Credit hours can only be earned by completing college credit hours through an accredited college or university. OSSE also considers holding a valid 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.

More information on the regulations that outline the education requirement for home caregivers can be found here.

Programs and Resources

The following is a list of programs and resources available in the Washington, DC area. This list is neither exhaustive nor an indication of endorsement by OSSE.