FAQ - Child Development Permits (Early Childhood/Preschool)

• Child Development Assistant Permit
  Authorizes the holder to care for and assist in the development and instruction of children in a child care and development program under the supervision of a Child Development Permit (CDP) Associate Teacher, CDP Teacher, CDP Master Teacher, CDP Site Supervisor, or CDP Program Director.
  
  
• Child Development Associate Permit
  Authorizes the holder to provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program, and supervise a CDP Assistant, and an aide.
  
  
• Child Development Teacher Permit
  Authorizes the holder to provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program, and supervise a CDP Associate Teacher, a CDP Assistant, and an aide.
  
  
• Child Development Master Teacher Permit
  Authorizes the holder to provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program, and supervise a CDP Teacher, CDP Associate Teacher, CDP Assistant, and an aide. The permit also authorizes the holder to serve as a coordinator of curriculum and staff development in a child care and development program.
  
  
• Child Development Site Supervisor Permit
  Authorizes the holder to supervise a child care and development program operating at a single site; provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program; and serve as a coordinator of curriculum and staff development in a child care and development program.
  
  
• Child Development Program Director Permit
  Authorizes the holder to supervise a child care and development program operated at a single site or multiple sites; provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program; and serve as coordinator of curriculum and staff development in a child care and development program.
  

If any permit lists a School-Age Emphasis Authorization:
This authorizes you to provide all services authorized by your Child Development Permit and to provide services in the care, development, and instruction of children in before-school, after-school, and other school-age child care programs.

No. Commission staff will not evaluate course work by phone, fax, or e-mail. You must submit a completed application (form 41-4), processing fee, and a complete set of official transcripts showing the course work for the permit you are seeking.

To qualify for the Site Supervisor Permit under Option 4, you will need to verify the completion of six semester units (of the 12 required) in Early Childhood Education. Completing an elementary teacher preparation program, including student teaching, qualifies you for the permit issued with School-Age Emphasis.  See the Child Development Permits leaflet leaflet for additional information.

No. Commission staff will conduct their evaluation based on the permit type requested on the application form.

Contact the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division for this information.

The experience requirement will depend on the type of permit you are applying for and the option by which you qualify. The Child Development Permit options that require experience are listed below.

• Associate Teacher Permit -- Option 1 requires 50 days of experience in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program, working at least three hours per day within the last two years immediately preceding the date of application.
• Teacher Permit -- Option 1 requires 175 days of experience in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program, working at least three hours per day within the last four years immediately preceding the date of application.
• Master Teacher Permit -- Option 1 requires 350 days of experience in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program, working at least three hours per day within the last four years immediately preceding the date of application.
• Site Supervisor -- Option 1 requires 350 days of experience in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program, working at least three hours per day within the last four years immediately preceding the date of application. This experience must include at least 100 days of supervising adults.
• Program Director -- Option 1 requires one year of site supervisor experience. This experience does not have to be completed in the years immediately preceding the date of application.

• The Child Development Associate Teacher Permit authorizes the holder to supervise a CDP Assistant, and an aide.
• The Child Development Teacher Permit authorizes the holder to supervise a CDP Associate Teacher, a CDP Assistant, and an aide.
• The Child Development Master Teacher Permit authorizes the holder to supervise a CDP Teacher, CDP Associate Teacher, CDP Assistant, and an aide.
• The Child Development Site Supervisor Permit authorizes the holder to supervise a child care and development program operating at a single site.
• The Child Development Program Director Permit authorizes the holder to supervise a child care and development program operated at a single site or multiple sites.

Either way is acceptable. However, you may want to ensure there are no funding-related issues that may arise due to submitting your application directly to the Commission office. Contact the Child Development Consortium for additional information.

Either way is acceptable. However, you may want to ensure there are no funding-related issues that may arise due to submitting your application directly to the Commission office. Contact your college for additional information.

Regional accreditation information

No, not at this time.

Yes, as long as it was completed at a regionally-accredited college or university.

Yes, as long as it has been evaluated by a foreign transcript evaluation agency and is found to be equivalent to course work offered at a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States.

Child Development Permits from the Teacher level and higher may be renewed online. Please see step-by-step directions on how to renew your document using the CTC Online system.

When you complete the requirements for a higher-level permit within three years from the issuance date of your current permit, submit a new application (form 41-4), transcripts and/or letters of experience verifying your eligibility for the higher level of permit, and half of the current application fee. If more than three years has passed, you will not be eligible for the half-fee upgrade and will be required to submit a full application processing fee, with the items mentioned above.

No.

Yes. During the online renewal process, you must answer all questions on the page titled 'Personal and Professional Fitness'. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions, you must type an explanation in the space provided. See the following guidance on completing the Professional Fitness Questions.

No. The renewal requirements for the Associate Teacher Permit are completion of 15 semester units of associate degree or higher degree-applicable course work towards the Child Development Teacher Permit. The 15 semester units must have been completed after the issuance date of the Associate Teacher Permit.

Yes. Appeal applications should include a completed application 41-4, transcripts showing any course work completed since the issuance of the permit, a letter from the permit holder explaining the circumstances necessitating the appeal, and materials supporting the appeal request. See Credential Leaflet AL-3. for more information on submitting a request for extension by appeal.

Supervised field experience may be classified as a lab, practicum, or student teaching (kindergarten level or below only). The criteria for a supervised field experience is supervision by staff from a regionally-accredited college or university, observation of the student interacting with children and earning 3 semester units of course work on an official transcript.

No. However, exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis if the center met the standards of a facility/school, was licensed, provided curriculum instruction and cared for a significant number of children (at least 18) and employed helpers/aides. Home day care is acceptable for the teaching experience requirement if the care taker provides a program which is substantiated by letters from the children's parents.

To qualify for the Child Development Site Supervisor Permit or Program Director Permit using home daycare experience, applicants must hold a Large Family Child Care Home License issued by the California Department of Social Services. Applicants for the Site Supervisor Permit must verify in addition to other requirements a minimum of 100 days supervising adults in the child care program. Applicants for the Program Director Permit must verify in addition to other requirements possession of a Large Family Child Care Home License for a minimum of one year.

Early childhood education (ECE) or Child Development (CD) may be found under other departments such as home economics, family science, and education. If the course title does not indicate ECE or CD, the candidate will need to get a letter from the college or university verifying that it was subsumed under another department. Be sure to include a course description or syllabi with your application whenever course content is questionable.