Florida Child Care Professional Certificate (FCCPC) and/or National Child Development Associate (CDA)
MDC SOE Requirements:
Must have a High School or General Education Diploma (GED). Must complete all items below:
1. 45 hours: Three training certificates required by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)
- 30-hour Child Care Training for Facility Personnel. This includes Rules and Regulations, Health, Safety, and Nutrition, Child Growth and Development, Child Abuse and Neglect and Behavioral Observation and Assessment
- 10 clock hours of Specialized Training
- 5-hours Training Certificate in Early Literacy
All of these certificates require that you pass an examination
2. Four Courses: Early Childhood Education (12 credits)
Choose one track:
Preschool Track: Program #60003
- EEC1000 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education
- EEC1200 - Early Childhood Curriculum I
- EEC1311 - Early Childhood Curriculum II
- EEC2202 - Program Development in Early Childhood Education
OR,
Infant-Toddler Track: Program #67014
- EEC2407 - Facilitating Social Development [Mind in the Making]
- EEC1522 - Infant-Toddler Environments [Ten Components of Quality Care]
- EEC2201 - Developing Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers
- EEC1001 - Introduction to Early Childhood Infant/ Toddler Education
3. EDG2943 (3 credits): Field Experience
This course is taken at the conclusion of one of the above tracks, plus other requirements (portfolio/resource file, an on-site observation by a qualified ECE professional, and testing)
4. 480 hours: Documented field work in an ECE setting
5. Current Pediatric First Aid/CPR Certificate
Dual Language Certification Program:
National CDA/FCCPC in Spanish or Haitian Creole plus School of Continuing Education Contextualized English.
In an effort to meet the needs of our diverse community members, MDC SOE ECE offers credentialing courses in Spanish or Haitian Creole along with School of Continuing Education English for Child Care Practitioners. This is a special program in collaboration with the Quality Counts Career Center. Ask an MDC SOE advisor for additional information.
National CDA/FCCPC Renewal
In order to renew the National CDA or FCCPC, students must take a 3-credit course that begins with the prefix EEC and differs from the already taken courses. For National CDA, contact https://www.cdacouncil.org/.
For FCCPC renewal information, go to www.myflorida.com/childcare/training and click on “Additional Resources.” Find “Training and Credentialing” and then “FCCPC Renewal Application.” Complete the form, complete any additional requirements that you may need, and attach a copy of all your transcripts.
Questions? Call the Child Care Training Information Center at 888-352-2842. For Spanish, contact Community Education at 305-237-2482.