Day Care / Child Care Provider

This foundational course equips adult learners entering the child care field with the safety certifications, practical mathematics, communication skills, and career tools required across every child care setting. Students earn CPR/First Aid certification, gain OSHA 10-Hour General Industry awareness, and build the trade-specific literacy and digital competencies demanded by the CDA credential and state licensing boards. The course establishes professional habits and documentation practices that students will apply in all subsequent program courses and on the job.

How the course runs. 7 blocks: Workplace Safety in Child Care: OSHA Awareness, Hazard Recognition & Emergency Action; CPR, First Aid & Bloodborne Pathogen Safety; Trade Math & Measurement for Child Care; Technical Reading: Regulations, Policies & Child Development References; Digital Tools for Child Care Professionals; Communication Skills for Child Care: Written, Verbal & Culturally Responsive Practice; Career Readiness: Professional Portfolio, CDA Overview & Career Planning.

What competent looks like. Demonstrate infant, child, and adult CPR and first aid techniques to American Heart Association or American Red Cross certification standards. Identify and respond to common workplace hazards in child care settings using OSHA General Industry guidelines, including emergency action plans and proper use of personal protective equipment. Apply trade math skills—including ratio calculations for child-to-staff ratios, medication measurement, and supply quantity estimation—accurately in child care scenarios. Read and interpret licensing regulations, family handbooks, incident report forms, and child development reference materials with demonstrated comprehension. Use digital tools standard in child care operations—including scheduling software, electronic family communication platforms, and online credentialing portals—to complete authentic workplace tasks. Construct a professional portfolio entry and career plan aligned with CDA Competency Standards and state licensing requirements.

This course prepares learners to meet the developmental, health, and safety needs of children from birth through 36 months in a licensed child care setting. Students study infant and toddler developmental milestones, responsive caregiving routines, safe sleep practices, and age-appropriate stimulation. Lesson content maps directly to the CDA Competency Standards for Infant/Toddler settings and supports state child care licensing requirements.

How the course runs. 5 blocks: Infant and Toddler Development: Milestones and Responsive Caregiving; Safe Sleep, Environment Safety, and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Prevention; Feeding, Diapering, and Daily Caregiving Routines; Age-Appropriate Activities, Play Materials, and Language-Rich Environments; Observing, Documenting, and Reporting: Developmental Concerns and Mandated Reporting.

What competent looks like. Describe physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional developmental milestones for children birth through 36 months using accepted frameworks such as the CDC developmental milestones. Demonstrate safe sleep practices consistent with current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines and identify environmental hazards specific to infant and toddler care spaces. Implement responsive caregiving routines including feeding, diapering, and soothing that support secure attachment and individual child temperament. Select and set up age-appropriate materials and activities that promote sensory, motor, and language development for infants and toddlers. Document developmental observations using objective, factual language and communicate findings clearly to families and supervisory staff. Recognize signs of developmental concern, illness, or suspected abuse in infants and toddlers and describe the correct reporting and referral procedures.

This course equips child care providers with the knowledge and hands-on skills to maintain a safe, healthy environment for infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. Students learn to recognize and eliminate hazards, respond to emergencies using CPR and first aid, manage communicable illness, and comply with federally recommended health and safety standards. Lessons are directly mapped to CDA Functional Area 7 (Healthy) and Functional Area 8 (Safe), as well as CPR/First Aid certification requirements.

How the course runs. 5 blocks: Safe Sleep, SIDS Prevention, and Infant Physical Safety; Environmental Safety Inspection: Indoor and Outdoor Hazard Identification; CPR, First Aid, and Emergency Response Procedures; Communicable Disease Prevention, Sanitation, and Mandatory Reporting; Emergency Preparedness Planning and Putting It All Together.

What competent looks like. Perform infant, child, and adult CPR and first aid procedures to the standard required for American Heart Association or American Red Cross certification. Conduct a systematic indoor and outdoor safety inspection using a standardized checklist and correct or document identified hazards. Apply current public-health guidelines to prevent and manage communicable diseases in a group child care setting, including proper hand-washing, diapering, and sanitation procedures. Identify signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect and describe the mandatory reporting steps required by state law. Implement safe sleep practices consistent with current AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommendations for infants in care. Develop a written emergency-preparedness plan that addresses evacuation, shelter-in-place, missing child, and medical emergency scenarios.

This course prepares child care providers to plan and serve nutritionally adequate meals and snacks to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in licensed child care settings, following USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern requirements and state food safety regulations. Students learn to accommodate common food allergies, cultural food preferences, and special dietary needs while creating positive mealtime environments that support healthy development. Lessons map directly to the CDA Functional Area 5 (Healthy) and support documentation skills required for state child care licensing.

How the course runs. 5 blocks: Foundations of Child Nutrition and CACFP Meal Patterns; Food Safety, Sanitation, and Safe Food Handling in Child Care; Food Allergies, Special Diets, and Mealtime Safety; Menu Planning, Cultural Responsiveness, and CACFP Record-Keeping; Responsive Feeding, Positive Mealtime Environments, and Infant Feeding.

What competent looks like. Plan menus that meet USDA CACFP meal pattern requirements for each age group (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) across a minimum five-day cycle. Demonstrate safe food handling, storage, and preparation practices consistent with ServSafe principles and applicable state food safety regulations for child care facilities. Identify common childhood food allergies and dietary restrictions and implement written accommodation plans that protect child safety during meals and snacks. Apply age-appropriate feeding practices, including responsive feeding for infants and family-style serving for older children, to promote healthy eating habits and self-regulation. Maintain accurate CACFP meal count records, food production records, and allergy documentation in formats suitable for state licensing inspection. Adapt menus and feeding strategies to honor the cultural and religious food practices of enrolled families while meeting nutritional requirements.

Students learn how purposeful play drives cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical development in children from birth through age five. The course covers developmental theory, environment design, activity planning, observation, and documentation aligned with CDA Functional Area competencies. Students practice designing and facilitating play experiences that are safe, inclusive, and responsive to individual children's needs.

How the course runs. 5 blocks: Foundations of Play: Theory, Types, and Developmental Connections; Designing Safe and Developmentally Appropriate Play Environments; Planning and Facilitating Play Experiences Across Age Groups; Observing, Documenting, and Using Play-Based Assessment; Inclusive Play: Adapting Experiences for Diverse Abilities and Backgrounds.

What competent looks like. Explain how play supports development across cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical domains using foundational theories (Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson) and current research. Design and set up indoor and outdoor play environments that are developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and free of identified safety hazards. Plan and lead at least three types of play experiences (dramatic, constructive, sensory) that align with learning objectives for a specified age group. Use structured observation and anecdotal documentation tools to record children's play behavior and assess developmental progress. Adapt play activities to meet the needs of children with diverse abilities, language backgrounds, and learning styles in compliance with ADA inclusion principles. Identify and correct environmental and material safety hazards in play spaces, applying child care safety standards and first aid response protocols.

Students study the federal and state regulatory framework that governs child care settings, including licensing standards for ratios, environment, health, and record-keeping required to operate legally. Emphasis is placed on applying regulations to real facility scenarios, completing required documentation, and understanding the role each rule plays in protecting children. Lesson content is mapped to the CDA Functional Areas of Safe, Healthy, and Learning Environment, and to state child care licensing examination topic areas.

How the course runs. 5 blocks: The Regulatory Landscape: Federal Frameworks and State Licensing Categories; Ratios, Group Size, and Physical Environment Standards; Health, Safety, and Sanitation Requirements in Licensing; Record-Keeping, Documentation, and Mandatory Reporting; Facility Self-Assessment, Licensing Inspection Preparation, and CDA Connection.

What competent looks like. Identify the key federal frameworks and state licensing categories that govern center-based and family child care, and explain how they interact. Apply child-to-staff ratio and group-size requirements for each age group to a staffing plan that meets minimum legal standards. Complete a facility compliance inspection checklist, identify violations, and document corrective actions in writing. Maintain required child and program records — enrollment forms, immunization logs, incident reports, and emergency plans — accurately and in the format regulators expect. Explain the mandatory reporting obligation for suspected child abuse or neglect and demonstrate the correct reporting procedure. Prepare and present a written self-assessment of a sample facility that maps observed conditions to specific licensing standards.

This course develops the communication skills child care providers need to build respectful, culturally responsive partnerships with families across daily interactions, formal conferences, written documentation, and digital platforms. Students practice active listening, conflict resolution, and professional written and verbal communication aligned with NAEYC family engagement principles. Lessons map directly to CDA Functional Area 13 (Families) and support state licensing documentation requirements.

How the course runs. 5 blocks: Foundations of Family Partnership: Why Communication Matters; Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Skills: Daily Interactions and Conferences; Professional Written Communication: Reports, Newsletters, and Incident Documentation; Culturally Responsive and Multilingual Family Communication; Conflict Resolution, Digital Communication, and the Family Handbook.

What competent looks like. Conduct a structured family conference using active listening, open-ended questioning, and objective observational language with no fewer than three documented talking points. Write professional daily reports, incident notes, and family newsletters that are grammatically correct, jargon-free, and compliant with center confidentiality policies. Demonstrate culturally responsive communication strategies when interacting with families whose home language or cultural background differs from the provider's own. Resolve a simulated family complaint or disagreement using a documented de-escalation and problem-solving protocol without escalating to a formal grievance. Use a digital family communication platform (such as a center app or email system) to send an appropriately formatted and FERPA-aware message to a family. Create a family handbook section that accurately describes program policies, daily routines, and family rights in plain language at or below an eighth-grade reading level.

This course develops the practical and administrative skills needed to run a licensed child care center efficiently, safely, and in compliance with applicable regulations. Students learn staff scheduling, enrollment and record-keeping systems, budget basics, facility maintenance routines, emergency operations, and the supervisory behaviors expected of a lead caregiver or center director. Lesson content is mapped to the CDA Functional Area of Program Management and to state licensing operational requirements.

How the course runs. 5 blocks: Staffing, Ratios, and Scheduling; Records Management and Enrollment Documentation; Budget Basics and Supply Management; Emergency Operations and Facility Safety; Supervisory Communication and Professional Leadership.

What competent looks like. Create a weekly staff schedule that meets required child-to-staff ratios for each age group served. Maintain accurate, organized child enrollment files, incident reports, and daily attendance logs that satisfy licensing documentation standards. Apply basic budget and petty-cash tracking skills to monitor classroom supply expenditures against a given spending plan. Design and conduct a written emergency-operations drill, document outcomes, and revise the plan based on findings. Demonstrate supervisory communication techniques—including staff feedback conversations and family intake interviews—appropriate to a center lead role. Perform a facility safety walkthrough using a standardized checklist and correctly prioritize and report hazards.

Students design, document, and defend a complete, regulation-compliant child care program plan that integrates competencies from all prior courses, including safety protocols, developmental programming, nutrition, family communication, licensing requirements, and center operations. The capstone culminates in a formal oral defense before an evaluator panel, simulating the professional accountability expected of a licensed child care provider and CDA candidate. Successful completion demonstrates readiness for the externship, state licensing application, and the CDA credentialing process.

How the course runs. 4 blocks: Program Blueprint: Defining Your Child Care Setting and Regulatory Framework; Documentation Package: Policies, Curriculum Plans, and Environment Design; Capstone Integration: Self-Assessment, Professional Portfolio, and Defense Preparation; Final Defense: Oral Presentation and Panel Evaluation.

What competent looks like. Design a developmentally appropriate, regulation-compliant child care program plan that addresses infant/toddler through preschool age groups and reflects current best practices. Produce a complete compliance documentation package—including emergency procedures, health and safety policies, nutrition menus, and family communication templates—that meets state licensing framework requirements. Apply child development theory and play-based learning principles to create a written curriculum plan with lesson plans, learning environment diagrams, and assessment tools for at least two age groups. Demonstrate professional communication by presenting and orally defending the program plan before an evaluator panel, responding accurately to questions about design decisions and regulatory alignment. Identify and cite applicable CDA Competency Goal areas within the program plan, connecting each major section to the corresponding functional area evaluated in the CDA credentialing process. Reflect critically on personal professional growth across the program by producing a self-assessment narrative that identifies strengths, areas for continued development, and a written professional development plan.

Students complete 162 supervised hours in a licensed child care setting, applying classroom knowledge of child development, health and safety, family communication, and center operations to real children and real colleagues. A cooperating site supervisor evaluates professional conduct, child interaction quality, and daily practice skills using a structured employer rubric. Hours and documentation support eligibility requirements for the CDA credential application and state child care licensing.

How the course runs. 4 blocks: Placement Orientation and Professional Readiness; Direct Child Care Practice Across Age Groups; Family and Professional Communication in the Workplace; Reflective Practice and Externship Closeout.

What competent looks like. Demonstrate safe, nurturing care of children across at least two age groups (infant/toddler and preschool) under supervisor observation for a minimum of 120 direct-contact hours. Apply state licensing health and safety regulations—including diapering procedures, hand-hygiene protocols, safe sleep practices, and emergency drills—correctly on every observed occasion during placement. Plan and implement at least four documented play-based learning activities aligned to developmentally appropriate practice standards and receive a passing score on the site supervisor's activity evaluation rubric. Communicate professionally with families through at least three written daily reports, one formal parent conference (observed or co-led), and daily verbal exchanges as rated satisfactory or above by the site supervisor. Maintain a complete Externship Field Log recording hours, children's age groups served, competency areas practiced, and reflective journal entries for every placement day. Respond correctly to a simulated or actual minor first-aid situation during placement, documenting the incident on the center's standard incident report form within the required time frame.

This course systematically reviews every competency area assessed on the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, state child care licensing requirements, and CPR/First Aid certification so that learners enter each exam confident and prepared. Instruction follows the exact domain structure used by the Council for Professional Recognition and integrates timed practice sets, mock oral and written exams, and targeted remediation. Learners who complete this course will have documented readiness evidence required to apply for the CDA and will understand the pathway to obtaining their state child care license.

How the course runs. 4 blocks: CDA Competency Domains and Portfolio Documentation Review; State Licensing Standards: Health, Safety, Ratios, and Facility Requirements; CPR, First Aid, and Pediatric Emergency Response Skills Review; Full Mock Exams: CDA Written, State Licensing, and CPR/First Aid Simulation.

What competent looks like. Accurately answer practice questions aligned to all CDA Subject Matter Knowledge areas at or above the Council for Professional Recognition's recommended competency benchmark. Demonstrate correct infant, child, and adult CPR and first aid procedures during a timed skills check to American Heart Association or American Red Cross standards. Identify the documentation, professional portfolio components, and application steps required to submit a complete CDA credential application to the Council for Professional Recognition. Explain the key health, safety, supervision ratio, and facility standards tested on a state child care licensing inspection without reference to notes. Analyze practice exam items to distinguish correct answers from plausible distractors, achieving a passing score on two consecutive full-length mock exams. Create a personal study plan that maps remaining knowledge gaps to specific CDA Competency Standards and schedules remediation before each exam date.