Interested in obtaining your Florida Staff Credential? You can use Care Courses toward the 120 clock hours of training you need to get your CDA credential, issued by the Council for Professional Recognition. Once you obtain your CDA from the CDA council, you will meet the requirements needed to obtain your Florida Staff Credential.
How to Earn a Florida Staff Credential
There are several ways to earn a Florida Staff Credential. One is to have a “National Early Childhood Credential.” The Florida Department of Children and Families defines a National Early Childhood Credential as: “National Child Development Associate (CDA) or other early childhood credential that meets or exceeds the requirements of the National CDA and is recognized by regulatory agencies in at least five states.”
Furthermore, the National CDA Credential is one of the most widely recognized early childhood credentials in the country. You must be renew your CDA every three years. (You can also use Care Courses to conveniently renew your CDA Credential and Florida Staff Credential.)
If you already have a college degree in early childhood or a related field or have the FCCPC or other early childhood credential, we recommend reviewing the Florida Staff Credential Resource Page to learn how your education can be used to get your Florida Staff Credential. Once you have met the education requirements of the Florida Staff Credential, it is time to submit your application. You can download the application from the same website.
How do I renew my Florida Staff Credential?
Care Courses are accepted for the 4.5 CEUs (45 clock hours) needed for renewal of Florida Staff Credentials. This includes the renewal of the Child Development Associate Credential (CDA), the Florida Birth through Five Child Care Credential, the Florida School Age Child Care Credential, and the Florida Director’s Credential. Care Courses is an IACET accredited CEU Provider and all of our courses offer IACET CEUs. Learn more about how you can use Care Courses’ IACET accredited courses for DCF training.
If you obtained your Florida Staff Credential by getting your National CDA, you may use our training to renew your CDA and Staff Credential! Use Care Courses’ discounted CDA renewal sets to renew. You must renew your National CDA every three years to renew your staff credential.
What about the FCCPC?
You can use a Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC), like the National CDA, to obtain your Florida Staff Credential. The National CDA and FCCPC have very similar requirements as well. For both the National CDA and FCCPC, you must obtain 120 hours of training and 480 hours of work experience. You must also complete a professional portfolio, and an observation visit (among other requirements). Both require 45 clock hours of training to renew. You must renew the National CDA every 3 years and an FCCPC every 5 years. Please note that Care Courses are not accepted towards obtaining the FCCPC; however, you can use Care Courses to renew a Florida Staff Credential obtained using an FCCPC.
Benefits of a National CDA
One benefit of the National CDA is that it is already accepted toward child care requirements around the country. Therefore, you can apply it toward other state requirements in the event that you move and want to work in child care in another state. Read our blog about what the National CDA can do for you in other states!
Do you have more questions? Check out our Florida child care training page to learn how our courses can be used in Florida. Give us a call and our CDA experts will be happy to discuss how you can obtain your CDA.
Care Courses Support
Please let us know how we can be of additional assistance! Call us: 1–800-685‑7610, Monday through Friday, 9–5 ET, or email us days, evenings and weekends: info@CareCourses.com. We’re here to help!