WASHINGTON - March 23, 2017 - s4story -- The Council for Professional Recognition is expanding its business partnerships network in two states through new agreements with Child Care Aware of Minnesota and Grand Canyon University (GCU) of Phoenix, Arizona. These two alliances will provide accessible and flexible early education training courses to align with the required education credit hours students need to earn the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™, a national early childhood education credential administered by the Council.

"Our partnerships with Child Care Aware of Minnesota and Grand Canyon University expand the Council's ability to work with early education communities dedicated to helping prepare students who are on the path to earning their CDA Credential," Valora Washington, chief executive officer for the Council for Professional Recognition, said.

Child Care Aware of Minnesota is dedicated to providing early education training for CDA candidates. Their goal is to help the growing demand for skilled early childhood professionals by increasing the number of CDA students they train by approximately 100 per year. Child Care Aware of Minnesota will also work with the Council to align its training courses with education credit hours that will count towards earning a CDA Credential for candidates. Child Care Aware of Minnesota will also provide information and training to CDA Professional Development (PD) Specialists who evaluate CDA Candidates before obtaining a credential. The training provided will help PD Specialists determine if a CDA Candidate's portfolio and required educational training have met the Council's standards.

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The Council's partnership with Grand Canyon University (GCU) will align GCU's early education courses with the required CDA Subject Areas that count toward earning the CDA credential. GCU students pursuing a CDA Credential will be provided with the most up-to-date education research and early education curriculum through the courses offered at GCU. This partnership will also allow high school students who completed CDA-focused training to transfer 12 applicable credit hours toward their studies at GCU. GCU's Early Childhood program is designed to prepare ECE students using formal education and practicum experience. They believe the CDA credential demonstrates these achievements.

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ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages zero to 5 years old. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings – Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family child care, and home visitor programs. As a non-profit agency, the Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing, publishes the industry leading training books and workbooks, including its CDA Competency Standards and Essentials textbook and workbook.

ABOUT CHILD CARE AWARE OF MINNESOTA

Child Care Aware of Minnesota supports their state's families, child care professionals, and early education programs in a variety of ways. They reach out to include parents in the conversation about what high-quality child care looks like and why it's important. Their Parent Service Specialists assist parents in searching for child care through their Quality Rating & Improvement System, Parent Aware, as well as guide families to resources based on their unique needs. Child Care Aware of Minnesota believes the healthy growth of their children depends on the knowledge of their child care professionals. They offer flexible online training options to meet providers where they are, help them keep skills current and demonstrate their accomplishments to families. In addition, a broad array of financial support options are available for child care professionals to support their growth and education. These options include: CDA advising and training, assessment fee scholarships, college scholarships and a retention grant program.

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ABOUT GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY

Grand Canyon University is a premier private Christian university, fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. It has created Early Childhood courses that focus on topics to help develop young minds. Using research-based evidence, candidates will increase their awareness of the stages of growth and development and the related milestones. In addition, candidates will explore ways to gauge children's attention and implement learning activities in creative ways. During internship experiences, taken in most courses, child guidance and activity are examined in a birth to preschool setting. GCU recognizes the importance of credentials and career standards for those who are preparing for their career in Early Childhood Education (ECE). The University believes those seeking a career in ECE are best prepared through formal education and practicum experience and the CDA credential demonstrates this achievement.