Formal Educational Qualifications

A child care professional using a formal education to meet the staff credential requirement, must have one of the following:

A). B.A., B.S. or advanced degree in ONE of the following areas:

• Early Childhood Education/Child Development,
• Pre-Kindergarten or Primary Education,
• Preschool Education,
• Family and Consumer Sciences (formerly Home Economics/Child Development),
• Exceptional Student Education,
• Special Education,
• Mental Disabilities,
• Specific Learning Disabilities,
• Physically Impaired,
• Varying Exceptionalities,
• Emotional Disabilities,
• Visually Impaired,
• Hearing Impaired,
• Speech-Language Pathology, or
• Elementary Education with certification to teach any age birth through 6th grade (certification may be inactive provided the certificate is not suspended/revoked).

B). A.S., A.A. degree or higher in Early Childhood Education/Child Development

C). Associate's degree or higher WITH at least six (6) college credit hours in early childhood education/child development AND at least 480 hours experience in a child care setting serving children ages birth through eight (8).

Degrees must be earned from an accredited institution.

If a college degree is earned outside the U.S., it must be evaluated by an approved credential evaluation agency approved by the Bureau of Educators Certification or an accredited college/university to be equivalent to a U.S. degree.

Staff credentials met through formal education qualifications do not expire.