What does a Child Development Associate (CDA) do?

Child development associate is a credential in early childhood education. It sets a competency standard, which helps grow the child professionally. The child development associate knows how to nurture the emotional, physical, intellectual, and social development of children.

This program is made to assess the early childhood education program. It sets policies and procedures. Early childhood education is different than teaching middle-aged children. They set up a guideline for the rules and regulations of a preschool teacher and caregivers.

The CDA ensures the safety and security of the children. The educators are taught how to provide safety and security to the children. CDA also focuses on positive social guidance, building good relationships, and emotional development.

In the early 1970s, a group of early childhood educators gathered and thought of how to improve the quality of early care and ed. Hence, the concept of CDA was formed. After several years of development finally, the first CDA was awarded in 1975.

Subjects areas included in the CDA

1. CDA aims to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for the kids. This builds a feeling of satisfaction in the minds of the parents. As parents of infants, their utmost priority is always the safety of their children.
2. CDA focuses on developing the child physically and intellectually. This can be done by involving themselves and engaging in various learning activities.
3. It develops the child socially and emotionally. It encourages the child to interact with his peers and mentors
4. CDA encourages building a strong relationship between a child and his family members. This creates positiveness in the mind of the child
5. CDA helps educators maintain a commitment to professionalism. They must act professionally and wisely.
6. CDA encourages the teacher to observe every action of the child very minutely and record it. This will help to understand the developmental milestones set by the educators.
7. CDA helps teachers and parents to understand the principles of child development and learning.

To achieve a degree in child development is to prepare an educator to deal with early childhood education. This course deals with the physical, emotional, language, and behavioral developments of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It encourages the child to learn interestingly.

An educator needs to be patient while working in a preschool. She must understand the fact, that all children are capable of acquiring knowledge at the same pace. Some need more time, while some lesser time than expected.

Work profiles for CDA professionals

1. Assistant teacher of a preschool. They indulge themselves in documentary students" performance and progression, preparing lessons and materials.
2. They can work as a head teacher. The teacher prepares the lesson plan as per the age of the kids. They help in organizing activities, and developing children.
3. CDA professionals can also work as caregivers at home. They look after the kids and provide them with a safe and healthy environment.
4. Professionals can also work as private tutors. Who teaches the kids at home and develops their skills.

If an educator works with the CDA process, it will be rewarding. As child development credentials help to earn nationalized credentials. It helps to evaluate our work as it compares with national standards and helps an educator improve her skills.

CDA also encourages parents to receive one-to-one advice and support from the educators of early childhood programs. As they have the knowledge of child development and growth. CDA helps teachers develop their skills in the education field. So, that they can take good care of the kids and become an efficient teacher.

A CDA certificate helps an individual to build her career in the childcare field. It helps the educator to prepare herself for the following courses

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1. Learn Teaching – Here, an educator will learn to present herself to the foundation of early care and education of children from birth to eight years of age.
2. Observing the children – An educator will learn the different forms of assessments and evaluations to observe the children.
3. Team Teaching - This shows the importance of teamwork and team teaching. This will enhance teamwork and build a good relationships with colleagues.

The child development associates work to nurture the children. They mainly focus to develop the children emotionally, intellectually, and socially. CDA certification helps to develop the career of an educator and it enhances their confidence. To become a CDA,

Required skills to be a Child Development Associate

1. An educator must have strong interpersonal and communication skills.
2. She must hold knowledge of the child’s development in cognitive, social, and psychological.
3. She must have the ability to understand the supervision of the child. So that she can read the mind of the child.
4. An educator must lead, instruct, and interact with kids of various ages.
5. She must be caring, loving, and affectionate. She must provide a homely and healthy environment for the children in school.
6. An educator of a preschool must have the ability to read, understand, follow, and enforce safety procedures.
7. An instructor must provide healthy nutrition and hygienic requirements for the infants.
8. They must know child development theory and practice.
9. An educator of a preschool must know how to use the cleaning equipment and supplies safely.
10. An instructor must have the quality to convince and influence others.

Published by- Atheneum Global