CDA Training Arkansas | CDA Classes Online

Your CDA. Your Arkansas Classroom. Your Career.

The Child Development Associate® credential is the fastest, most affordable way to open real doors in Arkansas early childhood education — it’s the credential that gets you into the state’s pre-K classrooms, helps unlock the director’s office, and sets you apart in any program.

If you love working with young children but a college degree feels out of reach right now, the CDA is built for you. It’s nationally recognized, accepted by Arkansas’s Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, and — through Arkansas’s T.E.A.C.H. scholarship — it can cost you very little to earn.

Here’s exactly what your CDA can do for you in Arkansas.

Teach in Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) — the State’s Pre-K

This is the headline. Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) is the state’s funded pre-K program, and your CDA is the credential that gets you in the door:

Paraprofessional / teacher assistant: A CDA is the minimum credential — and it qualifies you directly, on its own.
Infant and toddler caregiver: An Infant/Toddler CDA is the minimum required credential.
Family child care home teacher in ABC: Must hold at least a CDA.

(6 CAR § 100-208)

In a program serving thousands of Arkansas children, the CDA is your recognized way into a real classroom role.

Open Two Pathways to Director

Dreaming of running a program? The CDA is the credential that completes your path to director (age 21+) in two ways under Arkansas’s current rules:

Already have a bachelor’s degree — just not in early childhood? Your CDA makes that degree count, qualifying you as director.
Years of experience instead of a degree? 8 years of experience + your CDA (or a birth–pre-K credential earned within two years) qualifies you as director.

(20 CAR § 1025-402)

The CDA is the piece that turns your degree or your experience into a directorship.

Stand Out in Any Classroom

Here’s something many educators don’t realize: in general licensed Arkansas centers, a CDA isn’t required for caregivers. That’s exactly why having one matters — it sets you apart as a credentialed, qualified professional in a field where many aren’t. And the moment your program joins ABC, the CDA becomes the credential you’ll need. Earn it now, and you’re ready.

Earn It with Help — T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Arkansas

You don’t have to pay for your CDA alone. Through the Arkansas Early Childhood Association, the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Arkansas Scholarship helps teaching staff, directors, and family child care educators earn the CDA at a fraction of the cost.

T.E.A.C.H. covers most of your tuition and fees, adds a stipend for books and travel plus a personal counselor to guide you, and asks only a small co-pay (your employer chips in and gives you paid release time). Even better, it’s a stair-step: the credits you earn for your CDA carry forward if you later choose to pursue an associate or bachelor’s degree — and completing your credential typically comes with a raise or bonus.

Why Educators Choose the CDA

Nationally recognized and accepted by Arkansas’s DCCECE
Your way into ABC pre-K — the minimum credential for paraprofessionals and infant/toddler caregivers
Completes two director pathways — pairs with a non-ECE degree, or with 8 years of experience
Sets you apart where a credential isn’t required — and is ready when your program joins ABC
Affordable to earn through T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Arkansas, with credits that stack toward a degree
No college degree required to earn it — faster and more affordable than a two- or four-year degree

Your experience with children is already valuable. The CDA is what turns that experience into a credential Arkansas recognizes — and a career you can build on.

Ready to open these doors? Start your CDA today.

Start Your CDA Today

What Is a CDA Credential?

Are you an early childcare professional in Arkansas wanting to take your career to the next level? The CDA Credential in Arkansas might be right for you. The CDA Credential is a professional development certification awarded to early childcare educators who demonstrate specific knowledge and skills. It’s not only helpful for advancing your career — it provides continuous training and helps you become eligible for more jobs.

What Do You Need to Earn a CDA Credential?

How long does it take? To earn your CDA Credential, you must complete a total of 120 hours of training, an observation, a resource file, and both a written and an oral exam. This takes anywhere from six months to one year, depending on how you complete the 120 hours and the CDA program you’re working with. You must also complete 480 hours working in the field you indicated on your application.

Once those required hours are complete, you can move forward. You’ll select a CDA Verification Specialist who will conduct your Verification Visit — be sure to note their Identification Number. Then you’ll submit your application online so you can check your status and get automatic updates. The final two steps are the Verification Visit and the CDA Exam. Pass both, and you’re on your way to earning your CDA Credential.

Preparing for the CDA Exam

Because the CDA exam is one crucial step to obtaining your credential, we’re here to give you all the help you need to pass the test. At National CDA Training, you’ll experience fun and unique training like no other. We offer innovative child care development courses online that let you learn by doing.

We use a scenario-based approach that gives you mental practice reacting to real-life classroom situations. The more you practice, the calmer and more confident you’ll feel in everything you do. Our CDA courses are designed to prepare you not just to pass the exam, but to thrive in your Arkansas classroom.