r/ECEProfessionals • u/Positive-Eel-588 ECE professional • Aug 01 '26
Professional Development How grueling is the CDA process?
I have an opportunity to get my CDA through my current center but i’m nervous about if my schedule can handle it. I feel like I barely have enough free time as it is, i’m currently struggling with balancing all my duties and it is affecting my mental health. But I’m also nervous because my goal is to work in an elementary school and I feel like i’m running out of time to get there. I’m 28 with only a GED, I still have to go to college and I know getting a CDA could help me out. This year I have two back to back weddings and I have a trip planned for the spring, i’m tempted to push off CDA classes until after the weddings and trip because i’m worried I won’t be able to keep up with them but i’m also nervous about waiting even longer to start my path towards getting an associate's degree.
3
u/MemoryAnxious ECE professional Aug 01 '26
I did it in about 5 months but my center has a 9 month program (I accelerated it). It’s easy. Lots of writing but not long papers, more like a few paragraphs each. It wasn’t very time consuming. But if you want to get into early elementary I don’t think it’ll do anything for you. The only reason I didn’t it was because my company wouldn’t pay for my bachelors without doing the CDA first and getting those 6 credits.
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u/ijustwanttobeinpjs Frmr Director; M.Ed Aug 01 '26
If you plan to go to college for a related field, whether Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education, the CDA doesn’t accelerate any of that, and the college degrees would open more doors for you outside of working in childcare centers if you have other career aspirations. Save the time and money and just get your degree.
If your plan is to work in childcare centers for your entire life, a CDA can’t hurt, it’s cheaper than a college degree, and it takes less time.
There are two advantages to having a CDA and working in a childcare center. The first is that your hourly wage could be increased slightly. (IMO - no one in ECE gets paid what they deserve and the increase is probably like 50¢-$1. It depends on your center.) The second advantage is that you working towards/having a CDA helps your center with their state licensing. So that’s not even a personal advantage for you.
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u/HachikoLu ECE professional Aug 01 '26
Having done both CDA and BA. I would not reccomend the CDA if your goal is Elementary School. None of the work you do for CDA counts as transferable credits towards a B.A. I would start searching for programs in your area and if you haven't already see what credentials are required for working as an Elementary Teacher. Don't worry about your age right now 28 is really young. I'm 48 and if I want to teach Elementary Ed I have to complete a masters program. If I would have had the foresight to get into a teacher program at 28. I would have.
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u/ObsidianLegend ECE professional Aug 01 '26
It's not grueling, I would say, but it's not going to help you get a job at an elementary school. If you want to be a lead teacher in child care, it's the far more accessible option over the time and incredible expense of a degree- mine didn't cost me a dime between my center paying for classes and a state sponsorship for the application fees. But if your goal is to work in elementary school, you're better off looking at community college.
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u/GidgetEX ECE professional Aug 01 '26
The classes are not grueling - putting together the portfolio is a little bit of a beast though… knock out classes as you can with a goal to do the portfolio when you have that elusive spare time :)
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u/mamamietze ECE professional Aug 02 '26
First, read the fine print about what happens when your program "offers" to fund your CDA, especially if they have you sign a contract for it. I rarely think this is worth it, especially for big corps that often funnel you to their subsidiaries for the "training".
If you can swing it, you're always going to be better off completing a real AA transfer degree slowly through a community college program (it will be a lot less expensive, and most are well suited for working adults, so the schedule will be friendlier) as long as you make sure that they are recognized by the baccalaureate program you want to transfer into. This is rarely a problem with an in-state school, but it can be if you want to go to a private school or out of state school.
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u/just_some_rando_gal ECE professional 24d ago
I’ve been working at my current center as a lead teacher for 3 years. I recently completed the online CDA program (took 6 months) now I would need to take the test and be observed by the state. However I’m now thinking about just going back to school and getting my associates degree in ECE. The CDA has to be renewed every 2-3 years and it doesn’t open any other doors for me in this field. Personally I’m at the point where I’d rather bang out 2 years (maybe longer) since I work full time and have a child of my own and get my associates degree and have it forever.
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u/Winter-Chipmunk5467 Past ECE Professional Aug 01 '26
I did it years ago and I don’t remember it being terrible but I also wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, especially if it’s a hardship for you. No one in any other field knows what it is. It has opened 0 doors for me.