Early Childhood Education in California

Career descriptions

For those seeking a degree in Early Childhood Education or Childhood Development, many career options are available to you. First and foremost the two main career paths from here are, pre-school teachers and childcare workers. However, degrees in Early Childhood Education often focus on children up to the ages of eight, so teaching at an elementary school is also an option. Degrees in these fields can also be helpful if looking to go into counseling or social work as well, though most of these positions will require a Master’s degree.

Certification and Educational requirements

California has six levels of childhood development permits and each individual permit has various educational requirements, often building upon one another:
  • Child Development Assistant Permit – This permit allows for one to care for and assist in the development and children in childcare and development programs. This is the beginning permit that one would get if one were to go into pre-Kindergarten teaching and childcare.
    Educational Requirements:
    1. Complete six semester credits of Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Childhood Development (CD) of coursework at an accredited school.
    2. For a school-age emphasis it is required that three of the six semester credits in ECE or CD are completed in school-age course work.
  • Child Development Associate Teacher Permit – This permit is a preparatory permit to receiving the teacher permit. It is renewable only once after five years and by the end of the 10-year period the holder would have to apply for the teacher permit.
    Educational Requirements:
    1. Complete a minimum of 12 semester credits of course work in ECE or CD (excluding field work). One course of at least three credits in each of the following areas:
      • Child/human growth and development
      • Child, family, and community, or child and family relations
      • Programs/curriculum
    2. Complete 50 days of experience in a teaching capacity in a child care and development program, working at least three hours per day within the last two years and having it verified with a letter from the employer on official letterhead.
  • Child Development Teacher Permit – this permit is the early childhood teaching permit that allows for one to provide service in the care, development, and instruction.
    Educational Requirements (two options):
    Option 1:
    1. Complete the following general requirements:
      • Completion of 24 semester credits of course work in ECE or CD, including at least one three-semester credit course in each of the following core areas:
        • Child/human growth and development
        • Child, family and community, or child and family relations.
        • Programs/curriculum
      • The following can be used as a partial fulfillment of the required 24 semester credits:
        • Supervised field experience may be used towards the overall 24-semester credit requirement as long as the course included both a field work and classroom component. The same field work course may not be used toward the experience requirement. Submission of a course description may be necessary.
          OR ..
        • Possession of a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential may be used as nine semester credits of credit toward the overall 24 semester credit requirement.
    2. Complete 16 semester credits in general education, including at least one course in each of the following areas: humanities and/or fine arts, social sciences, math and/or science, and English and/or language arts.
    3. Complete 175 days of experience in a teaching capacity in a child care and development program, working at least three hours per day within the last two years and having it verified with a letter from the employer on official letterhead.
    Option 2:
    1. Complete an associate degree or higher in ECE, CD or related field.
    2. Complete three semester credits of supervised field experience in an early childhood education setting
    Note: if you are doing a school-age emphasis, you either have to complete an associate degree or higher in school-age education and three semester credits of field experience in an early childhood setting, or you need to complete an associate degree o higher in ECE and have three semester credits in a school-age setting.
  • Child Development Master Teacher Permit - in addition to all that the Child Development Teacher Permit allows this permit allows for the holder to be a coordinator of curriculum and staff development in a child care and development program.
    Educational Requirements (two options):
    Option 1:
    1. Complete all of the general requirements as outlined for the Child Development Teacher Permit.
    2. Complete 16 semester credits in general education, including at least one course in each of the following areas: humanities and/or fine arts, social sciences, math and/or science, and English and/or language arts.
    3. Complete six additional credits in on area of specialization, including but not limited to:
      • Infant and toddler care
      • Bilingual and bicultural development
      • Children with exceptional needs
      • Preschool programming
      • Parent/teacher relations
      • Child health
      • Specific areas of developmentally appropriate curriculum
    4. Complete two semester credits of adult supervision course work.
    5. Complete 350 days of experience in a teaching capacity in a childcare and development program, working at least three hours per day within 4 years.
    Option 2:
    1. Complete a Bachelor's degree or higher.
    2. Complete 12 semester credits of ECE or CD course work.
    3. Complete three semester credits of supervised field experience in an early childhood education or school age setting.
      4. Note: School age emphasis requires at least 12 semester credits in ECE or CD to be in school-age course work.
  • Child Development Site Supervisor Permit - In addition to allowing the holder to do what is done with a Child Development Master Teacher Permit, this permit also allows the holder to supervise a child care and development program at a single site.
    Educational Requirements (four options):
    Option 1:
    1. Complete all of the general requirements as outlined for the Child Development Teacher Permit.
    2. Complete an associate degree or 60 semester credits.
    3. Complete six additional semester credits of course work in administration and supervision of child care and development programs. These credits must be comprised of two courses: one introductory course and one advanced course, or two courses of different topical content.
    4. Complete an additional two semester credits of adult supervision course work.
    5. Complete 350 days of experience in a teaching capacity in a childcare and development program, working at least three hours per day within 4 years. At least 100 days of supervising adults in a child care and development program must be verified through an official letter from the employer.
    Option 2:
    1. Complete a Bachelor's degree or higher.
    2. Complete 12 semester credits of ECE or CD course work.
    3. Complete three semester credits of supervised field experience in an early childhood education or school age setting.
    Option 3:
    1. Possess a valid Administrative Services Credential authorizing service in California public schools.
    2. Complete 12 or more semester credits of ECE or CD course work.
    3. Complete three semester credits of supervised field experience in an early childhood education setting.
    Option 4:
    1. Possess a valid Multiple Subject Teaching Credential or a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Home Economics.
    2. Complete 12 semester credits of ECE or CD course work.
    3. Complete three semester credits of supervised field experience in an early childhood education setting.
      4. Note: School age emphasis requires at least 12 semester credits in ECE or CD to be in school-age course work
  • Child Development Program Director Permit - In addition to all of the abilities with the previous permits this permit allows the holder to supervise at multiple child care and development program sites.
    Educational Requirements (4 options):
    Option 1:
    1. Complete all of the general requirements as outlined for the Child Development Teacher Permit.
    2. Complete a Bachelor’s degree or higher
    3. Complete six additional semester credits of course work in administration and supervision of child care and development programs. These credits must be comprised of two courses: one introductory course and one advanced course, or two courses of different topical content.
    4. Complete an additional two semester credits of adult supervision course work
    5. Verify one year of site supervisor experience.
    Option 2:
    1. Obtain a valid Administrative Services Credential authorizing service in California public schools.
    2. Complete 12 semester credits in early childhood education or child development course work.
    3. Complete three semester credits in supervised field experience in an early childhood education setting.
    Option 3:
    1. Obtain a valid Multiple Subject Teaching Credential or a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Home Economics.
    2. Complete 12 semester credits of early childhood education or child development course work.
    3. Complete three semester credits of supervised field experience in an early childhood education setting.
    4. Complete six additional semester credits of course work in administration and supervision of child care and development programs. These credits must be comprised of two courses: one introductory course and one advanced course, or two courses of different topical content.
    Option 4:
    1. Complete a Master’s degree or higher in early childhood education, child/human development, or a closely related field.
      2. Note: School age emphasis requires at least 12 semester credits in ECE or CD to be in school-age course work


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