The Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHS NRC) and the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition (the Council) have formed a partnership to help EHS grantees maximize training offered by the EHS NRC. Specifically, we have discussed how trainings offered by the EHS NRC's collaborative partner, WestEd, can be used to support programs in their efforts to ensure that infant and toddler staff are qualified at the CDA level. WestEd has provided Intensive Training based on the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC) for each wave of newly funded EHS grantees. In order to support the CDA credentialing process the EHS NRC in collaboration with WestEd and the Council have agreed to the following:

1. PITC Certified Trainers are eligible to become CDA Advisors; and
2. Trainings offered at local programs using PITC resources can be used to assist potential CDA candidates in attaining the 120 clock hours of formal training.

All staff that successfully complete the certification process connected with the Intensive training are eligible to serve as a CDA Advisor at local EHS or other infant and toddler programs. To become a fully certified PITC trainer, participants must be trained and complete a certification paper for each of the four training modules.

CDA TRAINING

Staff who complete the Intensive training can use the materials and resources provided to develop a training program for staff at local EHS programs who need to acquire 120 clock hours of formal training before entering the CDA credentialing process. A summary describing how to link the Intensive training with the CDA competency goals and functional areas is described below.

Beyond the agreement between the EHS NRC and the Council, it is also important to keep in mind, the Council's timeline and process for accepting applications and awarding credentials. This information is also provided below.

The EHS NRC and the Council are committed to working together to assist programs in training EHS staff. It is our hope that through this partnership we will support EHS in training qualified staff to work with infants and toddlers. We will continue to explore additional strategies to increase the pool of qualified infant and toddler staff available to EHS programs. We also invite your feedback and look forward to sharing additional information in the near future.

Comparison of CDA competency goals with the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers Training

Although organized somewhat differently from the CDA Competency Goals and Functional Areas, the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers' training system offers, through its four module training intensives and corresponding Trainer's Manuals the theory and active learning experiences that will support the attainment of CDA Competency Goals in all 13 functional areas. The following is a guide that Programs can use to correlate the content from the EHS Intensive training with the 6 competency goals and 13 functional areas required by the CDA certification.

Because of an inherent overlap between many functional areas, e.g., between Goal I, Functional Area 3, "learning environment" and Goal II, Functional Area, "physical development," which also relates to the environment, some training intensive sessions or trainer manual lessons appear under more than one category. There are, however, strong correlations between CDA's Competency Goals I, II, III, and IV and the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers' four modules, while Competency Goals V and VI each draw from two modules.

 
 

COMPETENCY GOAL I - to establish and maintain a safe, healthy, learning environment	Module II - Group Care
COMPETENCY GOAL II -to advance physical and intellectual competence	Module III - Learning and Development
COMPETENCY GOAL III - to support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance	Module I - Social-Emotional Growth and Socialization
COMPETENCY GOAL IV - to establish positive and productive relationships with families	Module IV - Culture, Family, and Providers
COMPETENCY GOAL V - to ensure a well-run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs	Modules II and IV
COMPETENCY GOAL VI - to maintain a commitment to professionalism	Modules II and IV

 

A more detailed matrix follows, providing a guide to the specific Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers sessions and lessons that can be used to train in the 13 functional areas. Note that some sessions/lessons appear under more than one functional area. This is an indication of the overarching significance of these topics. If trainings are organized by functional areas, rather than Program modules, these topics may be presented in either or both functional area trainings, at the discretion of the trainer. Note, also, that the Bilingual Specialization for Functional Areas 1-13 are treated as one area for the purpose of this analysis.

 
 

COMPETENCY GOAL I - TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A SAFE, HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT  1. Safe: Candidate provides a safe environment to prevent and reduce injuries	Module II Training Intensive Sessions: More Than Just Routine; Environment for Group Care Trainer's Manual Lesson 5 - Space to Grow Lesson 6 - Planning Your Infant/Toddler Care Setting Lesson 8 - It's Not Just Routine, Lesson 10 - Dressing and Bathing Lesson 11 - Health and Safety  Module III  Trainer's Manual Lesson 6 - Setting the Stage for Learning:
2. Healthy: Candidate promotes good health and nutrition and provides an environment that contributes to the prevention of illness	Module II Training Intensive Session: More Than Just Routine Trainer's Manual Lesson 8 It's Not Just Routine Lesson 10 Dressing and Bathing Lesson 11 Health and Safety
3. Learning Environment: Candidate uses space, relationship, materials, and routines as resources for constructing an interesting, secure, and enjoyable environment that encourages play, exploration, and learning	Module II Trainer's Manual Lessons 5 - Space to Grow Lesson 6 - Planning Your Infant/Toddler Care Setting Lesson 7 - Setting Up Specific Areas Lesson 8 - It's Not Just Routine Module III Trainer's Manual Lesson 6 - Setting the Stage for Learning:
COMPETENCY GOAL II. TO ADVANCE PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCE  4. Physical Candidate provides a variety of equipment, activities, and opportunities to promote the physical development of children	Module II  Training Intensive Session: Environments for Group Care Trainer's Manual Lesson 5 Space to Grow Lesson 6 - Planning Your Infant/Toddler Care Setting Lesson 7 - Setting Up Specific Areas Module III Trainer's Manual Lesson 6 - Setting the Stage for Learning:
5. Cognitive : Candidate provides activities and opportunities that encourage curiosity, exploration, and problem solving appropriate to the development levels and learning styles of children	Module III Training Intensive Sessions: Brain Development in Infancy and How to Stimulate It, Discoveries, Special Needs Trainer's Manual Lessons 1-3, Discoveries Of Infancy Lesson 4 - Facilitating Learning Lesson 5 - Caregiver Responsiveness Lesson 6 - Setting the Stage for Learning Lesson 7-9 The Ages of Infancy, young, mobile and older infants Module I Trainer's Manual Lesson 4 - Getting in Tune Lesson 5 - The Responsive Process Module IV  Trainer's Manual Lesson 11 - Culture, Development, and Learning
6. Cognitive : Candidate provides activities and opportunities that encourage curiosity, exploration, and problem solving appropriate to the development levels and learning styles of children	Module III Training Intensive Sessions Language and Communication Trainer's Manual Lesson 10 - Language in the Multicultural Child Care Setting Lesson 11 - 13 - Language Development in Young, Mobile, and Older Infants Module I Trainer's Manual Lesson 4 - Getting in Tune Lesson 5 - The Responsive Process
7. Creative: Candidate provides opportunities that stimulate children to play with sound, rhythm, language, materials, space, and ideas in individual ways and to express their creative abilities	Module III Trainer's Manual Lesson 7-9 The Ages of Infancy, young, mobile and older infants
COMPETENCY GOAL III. TO SUPPORT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROVIDE POSITIVE GUIDANCE 8. Self : Candidate provides physical and emotional development and emotional security for each child and helps each child to know, accept, and take pride in himself or herself and to develop a sense of independence.	Module II Training Intensive Sessions Primary Care and Continuity; Respectful Care Trainer's Manual Lessons 1-4 Together in Care Module I Training Intensive Sessions Social-Emotional Milestones, Responsive Caregiving, and Identity Guidance and Discipline Understanding Children's Behavior; Temperaments Trainer's Manual Lesson 1 - The Vision Lesson 2 - Flexible, Fearful, or Feisty Lesson 3 Working with Temperament Lesson 4 Getting in Tune Lesson 5 The Responsive Process Lesson 6 Ten Gifts Lesson 7 Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers Module IV Trainer's Manual Lesson 7 Becoming Aware of Cultural Issues Lesson 12 Routines and Culture
9. Social - Candidate helps each child feel accepted in the group, helps children learn to communicate and get along with others, and encourages feelings of empathy and mutual respect among children and adults	Module I Training Intensive Sessions Social-Emotional Milestones, Responsive Caregiving, and Identity Guidance and Discipline Understanding Children's Behavior; Temperaments Trainer's Manual Lesson 11 - Socialization and Guidance Lesson 13 - First Moves Lesson 14 - Helping Children and Parents Adjust to a New Program
10. Guidance: Candidate provides a supportive environment in which children can begin to learn and practice appropriate and acceptable behaviors as individuals and as a group	Module I Training Intensive Sessions Social-Emotional Milestones, Responsive Caregiving, and Identity Guidance and Discipline Understanding Children's Behavior; Temperaments Trainer's Manual Lesson 3 - Working with Temperaments Lesson 11 - Socialization and Guidance Lesson 12 - Socialization and Guidance: caregiver Practices
11. Families: Candidate maintains an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each child's family, encourages their involvement in the program and supports he child's relationship with his or her family	Module IV Training Intensive Sessions Creating Partnerships with Parents Caring from Our Points of View: Harmonizing Cultural Diversity for Sensitive Infant care Caring from Our Points of View: Responding to Families in Culturally Sensitive Ways Acknowledge, Ask, and Adapt Trainer's Manual Lesson 1 - Establishing Partnerships with Parents Lesson 2 - Involving Families Lesson 3 - Conducting Business with Parents Lesson 4 - Listening and Responding to Families' Needs Lesson 5 - Helping Parents Deal with Separation Lesson 6 - Handling Difficult Issues Lesson 7 - Becoming Aware of Cultural Issues Lesson 8 - Essential Connections, Part I Lesson 9 - Essential Connections, Part II Lesson 10 - Supporting Culturally Diverse Families Lesson 11 - Culture, Development, and Learning Lesson 12 - Routines and Culture Lesson 13 - Acknowledge, Ask, Adapt Lesson 15 - Protective Urges
12. Program Management: Candidate is a manager who uses all available resources to ensure an effective operation. The Candidate is a competent organizer, planner, record keeper, communicator, and a cooperative coworker.	Module IV raining Intensive Session: Primary Care and Continuity Acknowledge, Ask, Adapt Protective Urges Trainer's Manual Lesson 1 - Establishing Partnerships with Parents Lesson 2 - Involving Families Lesson 3 - Conducting Business with Parents Lesson 4 - Listening and Responding to Families' Needs Lesson 5 - Helping Parents Deal with Separation Lesson 6 - Handling Difficult Issues Lesson 14 - Staff Relations Module II Trainer's Manual Lesson 12 - Recordkeeping Lesson 15 - Respectfully Yours, Part I, Observation
13. Professionalism: Candidate makes decisions based on knowledge of early childhood theories and practices, promotes quality in child care services, and takes advantage of opportunities to improve competence, both for personal and professional growth and for the benefit of children and families.	Module IV  Trainer's Manual Lesson 4 - Listening and Responding to Families' Needs Lesson 6 - Handling Difficult Issues Lesson 14 - Protective Urges - working with the feelings of parents and caregivers Module II  Trainer's Manual Lesson 13 - Special Issues with Children and Families
Bilingual Specialization - Functional Areas 1-13	Module III Training Intensive Session Language and Communication Trainer's Manual: Language in the Multicultural Child Care Setting Module IV  Trainer's Manual Lesson 8 - Essential Connections

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