Be a Smart Consumer of Child Care Training

Spend your money and time wisely!

Your professional development as an early educator and child care provider is important. Meeting state requirements for initial and annual on-going training is one part of your professional development. If you have Early Educator Certification, you need professional development for certification renewal. And many child care providers need training in First Aid and CPR, playground safety, and age-specific training such as ITS-SIDS or BSAC.  Make sure the training or professional development that you choose will meet the requirements.

Here is some guidance:

On-going Training- Child care providers must complete on-going training hours every year. This has usually meant taking “contact hours” of training from an individual, agency or college approved by the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). Some training agencies are exempt (pre-approved by DCDEE), but non-exempt on-going trainers, except those approved for First Aid and CPR training, must have a current approved outline from DCDEE.  The trainer should be able to produce an email or approved outline form for each topic before you secure a training date with them.

If you have Early Educator Certification you need continuing education units (CEUs) or college credits to renew your certification.    You still need annual on-going training to satisfy state requirements.  Most, but not all, CEUs and college credits for certification renewal will also meet in-service requirements, but “contact hours” of on-going training will not count for certification renewal.

When would college credits or CEUs NOT count for on-going training? An example is a college course that does not contain content related early childhood or child development.  CEUs must come from agencies or colleges approved to issue CEUs.  On-line or distance CEUs must have prior approval if they are not from a nationally recognized regionally accredited college.