Caregivers in a school or center-based setting, caregivers in family child care and individuals involved in home visits to help parents meet their children's needs are all eligible for CDA certification, according to the Council for Professional Recognition. Endorsements are available for caregivers in bilingual settings, where children's development of two or more languages is supported daily.
Persons wishing to apply to become CDAs must have a minimum of 480 hours spent working with children within five years, 120 hours of documented child care training in a range of subjects, be age 18 or older and hold a GED or diploma from high school. An application must be completed, and a Council for Professional Recognition representative must visit the candidate to verify her qualifications before a certificate is issued.
The Council for Professional recognition notes that more than 15,000 child care workers apply for CDA certification each year. In addition CDA requirements are incorporated into the child care center regulations in 49 states, and Washington D.C. As of 2010, there are more than 200,000 CDAs across the United States.