Southeast Children's Fund

Course Catalog

Professional Development Institute’s History

Southeast Children’s Fund/Professional Development Institute (SCF/PDI) was established in 1994 by its parent company Southeast Children’s Fund with a grant from the Early Care and Education Administration. Since its inception the Southeast Children’s Fund Professional Development Institute has trained over 1,000 childcare practitioners for the CDA Credential, and has demonstrated a high degree of success in the number of graduates who achieved certification. Owing to the support services available, the number of students dropping out is extremely low. According to findings from a study conducted by UDC/CARUP for the Early Care and Education Administration, 165 first-time and renewal CDAs were awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition between January 2004 and May 2006 to candidates who attended SCF’s training program. During that same period, only 13 of the 473 students dropped out.

In 2007 SCF was once again awarded a grant from ECEA to be one of its CDA training providers. SCF/PDI also became a certified training provider for the Department of Employment Services in 2007. This year, 2008, SCF/PDI has added a new course: the Child Development Associate Professional Preparation Program (CDA P3). This one-year course is specifically designed for eligible individuals who are interested in entering the child care field but have little or no experience working in child care.

Administrative Staff

Frances J. Rollins, Executive Director
Kamila Johnson, Director, Admissions and Student Records
Trina Hall, Office Administrator

Faculty

Frances J. Rollins, Instructor/Advisor

Kamila Johnson, Instructor/Advisor

Angela Rollins, Instructor/Advisor

Lattice Edmonds, Instructor/Advisor

Michelle Marbury, Instructor/Advisor

Tanetta Merritt, Instructor/Advisor

Kelly Spriggs, Instructor/Advisor

Olivia Henderson, Computer Specialist

Southeast Children’s Fund/Professional Development Institute does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, ethnic origin or religion.

ADMISSIONS

Eligibility Requirements

Child Development Associates Direct Assessment Training Program (CDA Direct Assessment)

In order to qualify for this course, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age

• Currently employed in a licensed child care facility with 480 hours experience or have 480 hours of child care experience in the five years prior to enrollment

• Be a District resident or working in a District child care facility

• Have a high school diploma or a GED

• Able to pass a criminal background check and health check

Child Development Associate Professional Preparation Program (CDA P3)

In order to qualify for this course, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age

• Have no experience working in a child care facility or less than 300 hours working in a child care facility

• Be a District of Columbia resident

• Have a high school diploma or GED

• Able to pass a criminal background check and health check

Workshops and Seminars

There are no special requirements for enrolling in any seminar or workshop offered by the SCF/Professional Development Institute. These are offered to the general public for a one-time registration fee.

Tuition and Fees

Child Development Associate Training Program

Tuition Reimbursement Policy

In the event of early withdrawal from the program, tuition will be reimbursed according to the following schedule:

• Withdrawing before the end of the 5th day of classes -- 100% of tuition and fees

• Withdrawing between the 6th and 13th days of class -- 90% of tuition and fees

• Withdrawing between the 14th and prior to the end of the 21st day -- 50% of tuition and fees

Tuition/Fees Assistance

SCF/Professional Development Institute, owing to its partnership with the Early Care and Education Administration (ECEA) and donations from the public, has grants available to pay for tuition. Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify for assistance through this program:

• Be at least 18 years of age

• Have a high school diploma or GED

• Be a resident of the District of Columbia or work in a District child care facility

• Demonstrate a desire to work in the child care field

• Agree to work in a District child care facility for at least one year following receipt of the CDA Credential

The number of students who can receive this assistance is determined by the availability of ECEA grant funds and the amount of donations received from the general public.

ECEA, through the National Black Child Development Center, provides partial scholarships to eligible students to pay for assessment, which costs $325 for a first-time CDA credential, $225 for a second setting CDA credential and $50 for a credential renewal. Applicants must meet the same criteria as above, with the additional requirement that they submit a completed Professional Resource File with their application. The number of students who can receive this assistance is determined by the availability of ECEA grant funds

SCF/Professional Development Institute is a Department of Employment Services training provider; students who meet their criteria can get tuition and fee payment assistance from DOES under the Workforce Investment Act. Students must apply for this assistance at the Naylor Road, SE and Franklin Street, NE One Stops.

Workshops and Seminars

A registration fee is charged for workshops and seminars, which varies according to offering. The fee is nonrefundable.

Student Supportive Services

Students not currently employed in a child care setting get assistance with finding a placement in a licensed child care center for their practicum. Students who need a First Aid/CPR certificate get a referral to an organization that has a certified First Aid/CPR training program. Students also can get referrals to other services, including professional counseling and social services, to address those issues and challenges that might interfere with their ability to continue in the classes.

Emergency child care is available on-site for those occasions when unexpected problems come up with child care arrangements. Transportation assistance is also available, on an emergency basis, to students who have received a training grant from SCF.

SCF provides computers [and assistance with using Word and the Internet. Students may come early on the days of training or stay after training if they need assistance? The computer lab is available for students who otherwise don’t have access to a computer in the evenings during the week and on Saturdays that seminars are being offered.

Students get assistance with preparing the application for a Child Development Associate assessment, the Verification Visit used to determine whether the student qualifies for a Child Development Associate Credential because they have demonstrated the knowledge and skills deemed essential for quality child care. Students also receive assistance with applying for a CDA scholarship to pay for the CDA assessment. Students who are unemployed are referred to the full-service One Stops on Naylor Road, SE and Franklin Street, NE to apply for this assistance.

Application and Enrollment Procedures

In order to apply for either the CDA Direct Assessment or CDA P3 courses, the following steps must be completed:

Obtain and complete an Enrollment Application. This form can be found in the back of this catalog. It can also be obtained by calling Southeast Children’s Fund at 202-561-5736 or stopping by the office at 4224 6th Street, SE, Washington, DC. You can also go on the Internet to www.scfund.org, choose the tab Programs and Services, click on Professional Development Institute and then on the “Application Form” tab at the top of the page and print out.

When filling out the Enrollment Form, be sure to indicate your child care experience, primary language and education and whether you have a current criminal background clearance certificate and/or health certificate.

Submit your application along with a check or money order for $25 (non-refundable application processing fee) to Southeast Children’s Fund, Inc.’s corporate office at 4224 6th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20032 – either by hand or by mail.

Enrollment Interview. Upon receipt of the application, staff will contact the applicant by phone or email to schedule an enrollment interview. Applicants should bring to the interview the following: proof of age, residence, education, child care experience, and criminal background clearance, health clearance, and First Aid/CPR certificates, if they have any of these.

At the interview, staff will explain the enrollment process, the program in detail, student support services available to students, and what is expected of students. Staff and applicant will review the training schedule to select the course of study that best suited for applicant’s needs and the date of the Orientation session they are to attend to complete the enrollment process.

Staff will also discuss tuition/fee payment plans and determine whether applicant qualifies for any of the training subsidies and grants available either through SCF/PDI or through DOES.

• Those applicants who qualify for a DOES training assistance grant will be instructed to sign up with one of the full-service One Stops (Naylor Road, SE or Franklin Street, NE).

• Those applicants who qualify for SCF/PDI’s training subsidy program, will be entered into the database for consideration. Applicants may sign up for this program as well as the DOES program.

• If funds are available, applicants should complete and submit a FAFSA to qualify for a Pell Grant.

Applicants who do not receive assistance from any of the above sources, must make arrangements to pay for the training out-of-pocket; a payment plan will be negotiated and the tuition down payment and $60 book fee must be brought to the Orientation session.

Forms to be completed at the Enrollment Interview:

• Complete and sign an Enrollment Agreement;

• Police clearance form (if applicant does not have a current clearance) with instructions to take the original of this form to the Metropolitan Police Department to complete the process, and to bring the receipt to the Orientation class.

Applicants must make their own arrangements to update their health certificate.

Orientation. The enrollment process is continued at the orientation session. At one or more orientation sessions, applicants should bring all requested documentation that was not collected at the Enrollment Interview, including a receipt for the Police Clearance. Applicants should also bring the required tuition down payment (if any required) and book fee. (Applicants will have until the third class to submit the tuition down payment.)

In addition, applicants:

• Complete the Participant Information Form (an ECEA required document);

• Sign up for practicum placement, if not currently working in a licensed facility;

• Sign up for First Aid/CPR training, if lacking current certification;

• Sign student pledge to complete all required work needed to obtain a credential, to notify SCF upon being awarded the CDA Credential, and to work in the District as a childcare practitioner.

Those enrolling in the CDA P3 course will be assigned a field advisor and together they will establish a training/counseling schedule for Phase I.

Enrollment is not considered complete until SCF/PDI has received a copy of a favorable Police Clearance and Health Clearance; the tuition down payment and book fee is paid; and student has attended three consecutive class sessions.

ACADEMICS

Course Description and Content: The Child Development Associate Direct Assessment Training program is a course that prepares child care practitioners for an assessment (Verification Visit) the Council for Professional Recognition conducts to determine whether the candidate’s performance meets the standards for a CDA credential. The course consists of a series of seminars delivered over a six-month period, providing the 120 clock hours of early childhood education child care practitioners must have to be eligible for a first-time CDA assessment. Child care practitioners can train for a credential in five different child care settings:

(1) Center-based infant/toddler,
(2) Center-based preschool,
(3) Family child care, and
(4) Bilingual

Child care practitioners can study for a first-time credential, a second setting credential or a renewal of their current credential. Those pursuing a renewal or a second setting attend fewer hours than those seeking a first-time credential.

The Program provides students with theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice in child development principles and program management, as well as guidance in the preparation of the Professional Resource File and collection of Parent Surveys, both used as part of the CDA Assessment process. Students are also provided a thorough understanding of the Direct Assessment process and assisted in applying for CDA assessment. SCF/PDI bases instruction on the official curriculum of the Council -- Essentials for Child Development Associates Working with Young Children -- that covers the six goals and 13 functional areas comprising the standards governing child care practice. Instruction is presented in eight units: Unit 1, overview of early childhood teaching profession; Unite 2, basics of child development; Unit 3, providing a safe, healthy, learning environment; Unit 4, supporting children’s physical and intellectual competence; Unit 5, establishing productive relationships with families; Unit 7, professional responsibilities -- program management, advocacy and professional development; and Unit 8, preparation for the final assessment. Seminar instructors work with students in groups reflecting the setting in which they seek a credential. Highly qualified and certified also as field advisors, instructors use lectures, assignments, observation at employment site, and counseling to prepare candidates. At the end of training, candidates are administered a written situational assessment from the Early Childhood Studies Review. All students complete a satisfaction survey at the end of training. Successful candidates are awarded a certificate of completion,

Course Schedule: The CDA Direct Assessment program is offered two times a year, in the fall and the spring. The fall semester starts in the first week of October. The spring semester starts begins in the first week of March. Classes meet two times a week for two hours -- on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There is also a Saturday Seminar to which students are required to attend eight sessions. Class schedules are updated annually and posted on Southeast Children’s Fund Web site.

First-time CDA candidates must attend every session and achieve 120 clock hours of training. Second endorsement candidates must attend those sessions covering Units 2, 3, 4 in the new setting and other sessions deemed necessary for achieving the second setting CDA credential and achieve 60 clock hours of training. CDA renewal candidates must attend sessions covering those core areas identified as needed for renewal, and achieve 50 clock hours of training.

At the beginning of each semester, three orientation sessions are held. All applicants to the CDA Program must attend at least one of these orientation sessions to complete the enrollment process.

Course Description and Content: is for District residents who are interested in a career in early childhood education but who have little or no child care experience. It is a one-year program consisting of three phases: Phase 1-Field Work, Phase 2-Coursework, and Phase 3-Final Evaluation.

In Phase 1, Field Work, candidates are first assigned to an approved field advisor who directs all their studies throughout the training program. Students are placed in a licensed center- or home-based setting as a practicum in order to earn the 480 hours of child care experience required to qualify for CDA assessment and permit observation of their performance. (Applicants recently employed in a child care facility may use their current place of employment for the practicum.) SCF will use its connections in the child care industry to locate a suitable placement in a licensed center, as well as receive placements in its two affiliated child development centers. Finally, candidates meet once a week with the field advisor to work through the following topics: introduction to the early childhood profession; ways to study how children grow and learn; ways to set up a safe, healthy and stimulating learning environment; supporting children’s social and emotional development; advancing children’s physical and intellectual competence; and establishing productive relationships with families. Field advisors observe candidates in their placement and offers suggestions for improvement.

In Phase 2, Coursework, candidates attend a series of instructional seminars that extend learning obtained during the first phase, and afford them the opportunity to earn the 120 clock hours of training requisite to applying for CDA assessment. This training is the same provided in the CDA Direct Assessment training program, and helps candidates further understand how to apply basic principles of teaching and care for young children and their families. At the end of the training candidates prepare for and are administered a written situation assessment from the Early Childhood Studies Review.

Phase 3, Final Evaluation, takes place in the work setting again and involves completing assignments associated with the last two units of the Essentials curriculum -- Putting it All Together and Preparing for Final Assessment as a CDA. Field advisors will help candidates complete their Assessment application and will submit all documentation to the Council verifying that candidates have completed all required activities. From start to finish, field advisors, in cooperation with seminar instructors, carefully guide candidates toward success in obtaining their CDA credential.

Special Workshops and Seminars

Periodically, SCF/Professional Development Institute conducts workshops for child development professionals in the following areas:

• School Age Development Curriculum

• Infant/Toddler Growth and Development Curriculum

• Early Childhood Education and Development Curriculum

• Job-site Training/Career Enhancement Workshops

• Topics related to Child Care Licensing

• Advocacy Issues Related to the Child Care Industry

These workshops and seminars can be customized for individual businesses and presented on-the-job at the request of child development providers and organizations.

Technical Assistance

Southeast Children’s Fund Professional Development Institute also provides technical assistance to Child Development Home and Center owners and prospective owners. Clients can receive guidance in all aspects of the child development business, from licensing laws to curriculum to learning environment issues to staff development. Child care facilities and organizations can also arrange for on-the-job CDA training for their staffs.

Contact Frances J. Rollins at (202) 561-0595; or email her at sechild@erols.com for more information.

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