Early Childhood Education
Professional Development Requirements
by State

Your One-Stop Resource for Navigating ECE Training, Certification, and Registry Systems

Whether you're a teacher, administrator, trainer, or advocate, staying compliant with your state's professional development standards is essential—but navigating those requirements can be overwhelming. That's why we created this centralized hub. To help professionals easily find, understand, and act on their state's professional development requirements.

What You'll Find

State-by-State Requirements

Licensing and Registry Systems

Webinar Suggestions

Who This is For

Early childhood educators looking to maintain or renew credentials.

Program directors tracking team compliance.

Trainers and content creators aiming to align with state professional development standards.

Advocates and policy professionals seeking system clarity.

National Core Competencies

While titles and categories vary by state, most U.S. Core Knowledge and Competencies for the Early Care and Education Workforce cover 8–10 key domains. These domains align closely with NAEYC’s Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators and the Power to the Profession Unifying Framework.

Child Development & Learning

Understand developmental stages—physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and language—along with individual differences and the influence of environment, culture, and trauma.

Child Development & Learning

Understand developmental stages—physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and language—along with individual differences and the influence of environment, culture, and trauma.

Child Development & Learning

Understand developmental stages—physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and language—along with individual differences and the influence of environment, culture, and trauma.

Family & Community Relationships

Build respectful, reciprocal partnerships with families, honor diversity, and connect families with community resources.

Family & Community Relationships

Build respectful, reciprocal partnerships with families, honor diversity, and connect families with community resources.

Family & Community Relationships

Build respectful, reciprocal partnerships with families, honor diversity, and connect families with community resources.

Observation, Documentation, & Assessment

Use formal and informal tools to monitor child development, guide curriculum, and communicate progress ethically.

Observation, Documentation, & Assessment

Use formal and informal tools to monitor child development, guide curriculum, and communicate progress ethically.

Observation, Documentation, & Assessment

Use formal and informal tools to monitor child development, guide curriculum, and communicate progress ethically.

Developmentally, Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Teaching

Create inclusive learning environments that adapt to diverse abilities, cultures, and languages.

Developmentally, Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Teaching

Create inclusive learning environments that adapt to diverse abilities, cultures, and languages.

Developmentally, Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Teaching

Create inclusive learning environments that adapt to diverse abilities, cultures, and languages.

Content Knowledge & Curriculum

Integrate literacy, math, science, the arts, and social studies into engaging, age-appropriate curriculum.

Content Knowledge & Curriculum

Integrate literacy, math, science, the arts, and social studies into engaging, age-appropriate curriculum.

Content Knowledge & Curriculum

Integrate literacy, math, science, the arts, and social studies into engaging, age-appropriate curriculum.

Health, Safety, & Nutrition

Maintain safe, healthy environments; follow regulations; and promote wellness and healthy habits.

Health, Safety, & Nutrition

Maintain safe, healthy environments; follow regulations; and promote wellness and healthy habits.

Health, Safety, & Nutrition

Maintain safe, healthy environments; follow regulations; and promote wellness and healthy habits.

Professionalism & Ethics

Commit to ongoing learning, ethical conduct (NAEYC Code of Ethics), advocacy, and reflective practice.

Professionalism & Ethics

Commit to ongoing learning, ethical conduct (NAEYC Code of Ethics), advocacy, and reflective practice.

Professionalism & Ethics

Commit to ongoing learning, ethical conduct (NAEYC Code of Ethics), advocacy, and reflective practice.

Leadership & Program Management

(For administrators) Oversee staff, budgets, facilities, policies, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Leadership & Program Management

(For administrators) Oversee staff, budgets, facilities, policies, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Leadership & Program Management

(For administrators) Oversee staff, budgets, facilities, policies, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Inclusion & Special Needs

Apply evidence-based practices—such as DEC Recommended Practices—to support children with disabilities and developmental delays.

Inclusion & Special Needs

Apply evidence-based practices—such as DEC Recommended Practices—to support children with disabilities and developmental delays.

Inclusion & Special Needs

Apply evidence-based practices—such as DEC Recommended Practices—to support children with disabilities and developmental delays.

Upcoming Webinars

Join a free, conference-quality webinar and get an official, personalized certificate of attendance.

Upcoming Webinars

Early Childhood Education Professional Development Requirementsby State

Your One-Stop Resource for Navigating ECE Training, Certification, and Registry Systems

What You'll Find

Who This is For

National Core Competencies

Upcoming Webinars

Early Childhood Education
Professional Development Requirements
by State