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Administrative Structures of State Early Care and Education PD Systems

Comprehensive professional development (PD) systems for early care and education (ECE) personnel are accessible and based on a clearly articulated framework; include a continuum of training and ongoing supports; define pathways that are tied to licensure, leading to qualifications and credentials; and address the needs of individual, adult learners. Enhancing a spirit of life-long learning is one goal of any PD system; similar to this goal, a PD system itself is never a finished product and should continually evolve and be refined to best meet the needs of the population it serves.

Within PD systems are several interconnected components. These components fall under five broad elements: (1) funding; (2) core knowledge; (3) qualifications and credentials; (4) quality assurances; and (5) access and outreach. A one-page document that outlines and defines this simplified framework is available at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/pd_section2b.html.

The following table includes information about the administrative structure of 40 State PD systems. Systems provide information, support, and other resources to help people who work, or may want to work, in the ECE field. These State systems vary widely in the services and resources they offer to people. The systems in the table have been sorted into the following administrative structural categories (the number of PD systems administered by type of structure is indicated within the parenthesis):

  • State agency (11);
  • Child care resource and referral agency (CCR&R), single agency, or statewide agency (5);
  • College/university, 2- and 4-year (14);
  • School district (1);
  • ECE PD organization (i.e., the system is its own organization) (5); and
  • Nonprofit organization (i.e., the system is within another organization) (7).

Funding sources for the systems have been provided when they are available.

State Name of PD System Administrative Structure Web Site Funding Source(s)
AK Alaska’s System for Early Education Development (Alaska SEED) College/University http://seed.alaska.edu Federal Head Start grant; University of Alaska; Alaska Departments of Education and Early Development and Health and Social Services
AR Arkansas Early Childhood Professional Development System College/University http://chs.astate.edu/mainpage.asp No information is available from the PD system Web site.
AZ SStarCCEEDS (Statewide Child Care and Early Education Professional Development System), housed at the Association for Supportive Child Care Nonprofit Organization www.asccaz.org/SCCEEDS No information is available from the PD system Web site.
CA Child Development Training Consortium College/University www.childdevelopment.org CA Department of Education*; First 5 California; Stanislaus County Children and Families Commission
CO Office of Professional Development (housed at Smart Start Colorado, Lt. Governor’s Office) Nonprofit Organization www.smartstartcolorado.org/professionals
/index.html 		No information is available from the PD system Web site.
CT Connecticut Charts-A-Course ECE PD Organization www.ctcharts-a-course.org No information is available from the PD system Web site.
DE Delaware Department of Education: Delaware First...Again State Agency www.doe.k12.de.us/programs/delfirst/ Private foundations; corporations; the State of Delaware
FL Florida Department of Children and Families: Child Care State Agency www.dcf.state.fl.us/childcare No information is available from the PD system Web site.
GA Georgia Early Care and Education Professional Development System (housed at Bright From the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning) College/University www.training.decal.state.ga.us/bfts/welcome.do Bright from the Start*
HI Hawaii Careers With Young Children Registry CCR&R www.patchhawaii.org/providers/providers.asp Hawaii Departments of Human Services and Education; United Way
ID Idaho’s State Training and Registry System Professional Development System CCR&R www.idahostars.org Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children; Center on Disabilities and Human Development, University of Idaho
IL Gateways to Opportunity: The Illinois Early Care & Education Professional Development Network CCR&R www.ilgateways.com/default.aspx Illinois Department of Human Services*; Joyce Foundation; McCormick Tribune Foundation; Grand Victoria Foundation; W. Clement; Jesse V. Stone Foundation
KS Professional Development Initiative for Early Care and Education (housed at the Kansas Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies) CCR&R www.kaccrra.org Kansas Social and Rehabilitative Services
LA Louisiana Pathways Child Care Career Development System State Agency http://pathways.louisiana.gov/default.htm Louisiana Department of Social Services
MA Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) State Agency www.eec.state.ma.us/Professional
Development.aspx 		EEC; United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley; Schott Fellowship in Early Care and Education
MD Credentialing Branch, Office of Child Care, Division of Early Childhood Development, Maryland Department of Education State Agency www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/
child_care/credentials/mdcred 		No information is available from the PD system Web site.
ME Maine Roads to Quality: Child Care and Early Education Career Development Center College/University http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/maineroads   Early Childhood Division, Office of Child and Family Services, Maine Department of Health and Human Services
MO Opportunities in a Professional Education Network (OPEN Initiative) College/University www.openinitiative.org Department of Social Services; Department of Health and Senior Services; Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
MN Minnesota Professional Development Council Nonprofit Organization www.mnpdcouncil.org No information is available from the PD system Web site.
MT Montana Early Childhood Project College/University www.montana.edu/wwwecp Early Childhood Services Bureau, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services*
NC Child Care Services Association Nonprofit Organization www.childcareservices.org Government grants; corporate and foundation funders; United Way; other employee workplace campaigns; individual stakeholders
North Carolina Division of Child Development: Providers State Agency http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/
providers/pv_sn2_ov_pd.asp		 No information is available from the PD system Web site.
North Carolina Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development ECE PD Organization www.ncchildcare.org No information is available from the PD system Web site.
NE Nebraska’s Early Childhood Training Center State Agency http://ectc.nde.ne.gov/ Offices of Early Childhood and Special Populations, Nebraska Department of Education
NJ Professional Impact NJ (housed at Kean University) College/University www.njpdc.org Division of Family Development, New Jersey Department of Human Services
NM Office of Child Development, Children, Youth and Families Department State Agency www.cyfd.org/earlychildhood.html State general revenue; Federal revenue; other sources
NV The Nevada Registry School District www.nevada-registry.org State of Nevada; Office of Early Care and Education*
NY New York State EARLYCHILDHOOD.ORG State Agency www.earlychildhood.org No information is available from the PD system Web site.
OH Ohio Early Childhood Professional Development Network CCR&R www.ohpdnetwork.org/?wid=10 No information is available from the PD system Web site.
OK The Center for Early Childhood Professional Development College/University www.cecpd.org Child Care Services, Oklahoma Department of Human Services
OR Oregon Center for Career Development in Childhood Care and Education College/University www.centerline.pdx.edu No information is available from the PD system Web site.
PA Pennsylvania Keys to Professional Development (housed at Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality) Nonprofit Organization www.pakeys.org/profdev/Default.aspx   Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Department of Public Welfare
RI Childspan: Child Development and Education Training System ECE PD Organization www.childspan.net Rhode Island Departments of Human Services and Education; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; other private and public funding sources
SC Center for Child Care Career Development Nonprofit Organization www.sc-ccccd.net South Carolina Departments of Health and Human Services and Social Services
TN Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance College/University www.tecta.info Tennessee Department of Human Services
TX Texas Early Care and Education Career Development System College/University www.uth.tmc.edu/tececds No information is available from the PD system Web site.
UT Child Care Professional Development Institute (housed at Salt Lake Community College) College/University http://active.slcc.edu/ccpdi/services.asp   Utah Office of Child Care*
Utah Office of Child Care: Training Registry State Agency http://trainingregistry.jobs.utah.gov No information is available from the PD system Web site.
VT Vermont Northern Lights Career Development Center College/University http://northernlights.vsc.edu Child Development Division, Vermont Agency of Human Services; Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council
WA Washington State Training and Registry System State Agency https://apps2.del.wa.gov/stars/default.asp No information is available from the PD system Web site.
WI The Registry: Wisconsin’s Recognition System for the Childhood Care and Education Profession ECE PD Organization www.the-registry.org No information is available from the PD system Web site.
WV West Virginia Training Connections and Resources ECE PD Organization www.wvearlychildhood.org Division of Early Care and Education, Bureau for Children and Families, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources; West Virginia Birth to Three, Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health; WV Head Start State Collaboration Office; Office of Special Education, West Virginia Department of Education
WY Wyoming Statewide Training and Resource System, housed at Wyoming Children’s Action Alliance Nonprofit Organization www.wykids.org/stars Wyoming Department of Family Services

*The Child Care and Development Fund is a source or the primary source for funding. Back

Updated October 2008

 
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