Credentials
Professional credentials for early childhood and school age care and education signal that an individual has completed specific training and demonstrated the necessary skills to provide high-quality care, education, and support for the children in their program.
Credentials typically combine coursework, hands-on training in the field, and assessments to ensure proficiency in key areas like developmental milestones, communication with families, and promoting social-emotional well-being.
In Michigan, the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, Michigan Youth Development Associate (MI-YDA) Credential, Montessori Credential, and MI-AIMH Endorsements are all widely respected credentials for early childhood and school age educators.
The Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential is a nationally recognized credential in the early childhood education field. For more information specific to your CDA pathway please visit the Council for Professional Recognition’s website.
There are a variety of resources available for those pursuing their CDA Credential in Michigan.
Financial Support
- TEACH Early Childhood® Michigan provides financial support for credit-based CDA training taken at a community college or university as well as financial support and resources to complete the CDA Credential assessment process.
- You can search MiRegistry’s Statewide Training Calendar by CDA competency area to find training hours that qualify to meet the 120 clock hour training requirement for the CDA Credential. Many training events listed on the Statewide Training Calendar are offered at no cost to participants, while some do have an associated fee. Check out this short video that shows how to find free training events on the Statewide Training Calendar.
Additional Resources
- Students may earn college credit or complete training required to fulfill the CDA Credential requirements while in high school. Visit the Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) website or Michigan Department of Education Dual Enrollment webpage for more information.
- Through a variety of resources and services, Michigan AEYC provides the guidance and tools needed to successfully complete the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential process.
- The CDA Credential Summary Report found in MiRegistry supports CDA candidates with the most information available, the training (course) category indicated by the trainer is listed and then a description of the course is listed to support determining whether the training content meets the requirement for an Infant/Toddler CDA, a Preschool CDA or a Family Child Care CDA.
The Michigan Youth Development Associate (MI-YDA) Credential is a statewide credential for educators working with school-age youth in out-of-school settings. For more information about the MI-YDA Credential, please visit the MI-YDA website.
There are a variety of resources available for those pursuing their MI-YDA Credential.
Financial Support
- TEACH Early Childhood® Michigan provides financial support for credit-based MI-YDA training taken at a community college or university as well as financial support and resources to complete the MI-YDA Credential assessment process.
- You can search MiRegistry’s Statewide Training Calendar for trainings that meet a MI-YDA Competency Area. MI-YDA Content Areas are aligned to the National AfterSchool Association Core Knowledge, Skills and Competencies for Out of School Time Professionals. To find trainings relevant to a specific MI-YDA Content Area, visit the Statewide Training Calendar, find the Training Content section, and select the School-Age Content Area you are looking for from the Core Competency Area dropdown. Many training events listed on the Statewide Training Calendar are offered at no cost to participants, while some do have an associated fee. Check out this short video that shows how to find free training events on the Statewide Training Calendar.
Additional Resources
- Students may earn college credit or complete training required to fulfill the MI-YDA Credential requirements while in high school. Michigan AEYC's Supports for High School students and CTE Instructors page includes a variety of resources specific to the MI-YDA Credential. Michigan AEYC also has an online toolkit that aims to make it easy for high school counselors and instructors to engage students and families. You can also visit the Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) website or Michigan Department of Education Dual Enrollment webpage for more information.
- The MI-YDA Credential Report found in MiRegistry contains all verified training eligible for the MI-YDA Credential. It includes both training that the trainer aligned to a school age content area and training that was categorized as Other and was aligned to an early childhood content area. Trainers can only align training to either early childhood OR school age (youth development) content areas. Including training with a course category of Other allowed for the inclusion of training that was appropriate for both early childhood and school age.
- Early Care and Education Registered Apprenticeship Program (ECE-RAP): This little-to-no-cost program offers on-the-job training opportunities combined with related instruction toward a Child Development Associate Credential or associate degree and a nationally recognized apprenticeship certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor. It is also a recognized MiRegistry career pathway, which can earn credit toward professional levels. For more information, visit Early Childhood Investment Corporation's (ECIC) Early Care and Education Registered Apprenticeship page.
The Montessori Credential is a widely recognized credential for educators dedicated to working in a Montessori classroom. For more information about the Montessori Credential, please visit the Montessori website.
There are a variety of resources available for those pursuing their Montessori Credential.
Financial Support
- The American Montessori Society (AMS) awards scholarships annually for individuals who are accepted into an AMS-affiliated teacher education program. Learn more on the American Montessori Society website.
- The Margaret Elizabeth Stephenson (MES) Fund benefits AMI/USA (AMI/USA is a country affiliate of Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) that specifically focuses on the experiences of and needs of schools and members in the United States) teacher trainers based on financial need in the form of tuition reduction.
The Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) Endorsement Credentials, including Infant Family Associate or Early Childhood Family Associate represent the highest standard in professional development, demonstrating advanced competency in culturally sensitive, relationship-focused practices that support the social-emotional well-being of infants, young children, and their families. For more information, visit the MI-AIMH website.
Financial Support
- TEACH Early Childhood® Michigan provides financial support for credit based coursework specific to Infant Mental Health that may be used to fulfill the Infant Family Associate Credential competency requirements. Financial support for credit based training taken at a community college or university is available by using the TEACH Early Childhood® Michigan scholarship program.
Additional financial support for credit based coursework that is stackable with the TEACH Scholarship funds include programs like:
- Federal Financial Aid
More information about these programs and additional eligibility specific scholarships can be found MI Student Aid site.
- Continuing your professional development journey with qualified professional development (training) is easy with MiRegistry’s Statewide Training Calendar. Many training events listed on the Statewide Training Calendar are offered at no cost to participants, while some do have an associated fee. Check out this short video that shows how to find free training events on the Statewide Training Calendar.