News

December 20, 2019

CDA Renewal Amnesty Program Begins January 1, 2020

For a limited time, early childhood professionals whose Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential lapsed or expired can take advantage of a CDA Renewal Amnesty program.

About

Running from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020, the CDA Renewal Amnesty program provides early childhood education professionals who completed their CDA but did not submit a renewal in time to keep the CDA current an opportunity to reinstate their credential.

The renewal program is eligible for Rising Stars Tuition Assistance (RSTA). Professionals interested in applying for assistance must complete their profile in the PD Registry to access the Financial Assistance tab. For more information about RSTA, visit the PA Key website.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, professionals must meet the following eligibility requirements:

All applications and payments ($125) must be submitted online by March 31, 2020.

PDOs and New CDA Cohorts

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is implementing statewide Professional Development Organizations (PDOs). PDOs will specialize in access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for the early childhood education (ECE) workforce. Shippensburg University and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) were selected as the PDOs in Pennsylvania. See a regional map.

While PDOs begin their work, The Pennsylvania Key contracted with several organizations and institutes of higher education, including Trying Together and Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5, to offer community-based cohorts so that individuals attempting to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential can complete the 120 hours of coursework and receive additional support. This opportunity is only available for 2019-20. Space in these cohorts is limited.

For more information about Trying Together and ELRC Region 5’s CDA program, contact Jan Sapotichne at jan.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412.350.3604.

Learn More

To learn more about the CDA Renewal Amnesty program, visit the Council for Professional Recognition website.

*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key

Image: An early childhood professional sits at a table, looking downward at an UnConference informational handout.