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
State-by-State Requirements
Licensing and Registry Systems
Licensing and Registry Systems
Webinar Suggestions
Webinar Suggestions
Who This is For
Early childhood educators looking to maintain or renew credentials.
Early childhood educators looking to maintain or renew credentials.
Early childhood educators looking to maintain or renew credentials.
Program directors tracking team compliance.
Program directors tracking team compliance.
Program directors tracking team compliance.
Trainers and content creators aiming to align with state professional development standards.
Trainers and content creators aiming to align with state professional development standards.
Trainers and content creators aiming to align with state professional development standards.
Advocates and policy professionals seeking system clarity.
Advocates and policy professionals seeking system clarity.
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.
