More than 30 years ago, the first edition of the Essentials was released. Since then, the world has seen many changes and has experienced an increased focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The mission for the Essentials has always been to provide an inclusive, structured way for educators to highlight the competence and confidence they need to support our youngest learners.

Recent events led the Council to be even more committed to advancing equity in the early childhood classroom. In the past few years, there’s been a rise in racial and ethnic tensions, pointing to the need to teach tolerance when young minds are most open. The shortage of early childhood teachers is equally pressing, a persistent issue that took the spotlight during the pandemic. The gap between supply and demand is especially glaring in low-income communities and those of color—precisely the ones that suffered the most significant losses from the pandemic.

The Council partnered with the Children’s Equity Project to ensure that equity was embedded throughout the new edition of the Essentials. This includes a focus on the type of books recommended, techniques for settling conflicts and how best to talk with families. The Essentials also focuses on how teachers can use the microcosm of the classroom to make a macro impact by giving children a sense of social justice when they are young.

“The goal for the new Essentials handbook is to guide teachers in helping young children master skills, develop friendships, grow in independence and move to new levels of thinking and understanding about the world,” says Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr., CEO of the Council. “The result is a curriculum to help build a model world based on tolerance and inclusion.”

To learn more about the latest edition of Essentials for Working with Young Children, visit our most recent article.

The mission of the Council is to promote improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old through the CDA. The CDA is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education and is a crucial stepping stone to career advancement in early childhood education. To date, close to one million CDA credentials have been issued around the world.

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Garvin has more than 20 years of national, state, and local experience serving children and families in underserved communities. Before joining the Biden-Harris administration, Garvin served as the president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Greensboro in North Carolina, leading the mission to end generational poverty in the Greensboro metro area. Garvin is a proud alumnus of the National Head Start Fellowships program, where he worked at the Office of Head Start.

The Council’s CEO, Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr., says, “On behalf of the nearly 1 million early childhood educators who’ve earned a Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential, we look forward to working with Khari Garvin to support and improve early learning. Garvin’s appointment is a testament to his unwavering commitment to early childhood education and the betterment of our communities. We congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition of his leadership and look forward to the positive impact he will make in this important role.”

The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings, including Head Start. The CDA® is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education and is a key stepping stone on the path of career advancement.

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Wat serves as Senior Policy Director at Alliance for Early Success. Wat is a trusted voice in early education and has served on the Council’s Board for seven years. Wat leads the Alliance’s work on state and national partnerships, especially as they pertain to early care and education (ECE) policies, including pre-k, child care, the ECE workforce, and the education continuum from birth through third grade. Wat assumes the role with the Council from current chair Linda Hassan Anderson. Hassan has served on the Council Board for over six years and provided immense experience and guidance to the future position of the Council, specifically in matters of equity and inclusion.

The Council’s CEO, Dr. Calvin Moore Jr., says, “We are so grateful for Linda’s leadership and guidance throughout the pandemic. She supported our staff and the community during a challenging time in the Council’s close to 40-year history. We are excited to have Albert as chair as we continue to reimagine the Child Development Associate credentialing process. His understanding of early childhood education is a true asset to all our efforts and the sector as a whole.”

Wat shared that he is excited to work with the Council and the Board and is honored that he was selected. Wat says, “I have so much respect for the work Linda and the Council have accomplished during difficult times. I look forward to helping to advance the work of the Council.”

For more information about the Council, visit www.cdacouncil.org.

The mission of the Council is to promote improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old through the CDA. The CDA is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education and is a crucial stepping stone to career advancement in early childhood education. To date, close to one million CDA credentials have been issued around the world.

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The Thrive Coalition is made up of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving all aspects of early childhood development (ECD) around the world. With more than 40 members, the work of the Coalition focuses on child protection, education, health, inclusion, nutrition, vulnerable children, family engagement, and water, sanitation and hygiene.

The Coalition makes the case for U.S. government investment in global ECD through direct advocacy, strategic engagement, and close coordination. The Coalition provides a forum for discussion, consensus building, coordination, learning, strategy, and advocacy on issues related to global ECD.

The Council’s CEO, Dr. Calvin Moore Jr., says, “We are excited to join the Thrive Coalition and work to further the understanding and importance of early childhood development. I have seen firsthand from my time in classrooms and through the Council’s work how beneficial and impactful supporting young children can be for their futures.”

For more information about the Thrive Coalition, visit www.thrive-coalition.org/ and the Council, visit www.cdacouncil.org.

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Eric Daniels is the Managing Director of the life sciences investment team at Manning and Napier (Rochester, NY), an investment management company. Daniels leads the firm’s global investment efforts in the healthcare space. Daniels is also a member of the firm’s Leadership Council, Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, Proxy Committee and Research Recruiting Group. Prior to Manning and Napier, Daniels was a vice president at JPMorgan Investment Bank. Additionally, Daniels serves on several boards, including East House, a non-profit supporting people with persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorders and Daniels Democracy and Community Foundation, a private foundation established by Daniels and his wife, Michelle, targeting those who support efforts to uplift the inner city of Rochester.

Carla Thompson Payton is the Vice President of program strategy for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, MI). In this role, she supports the foundation’s efforts to promote thriving children, working families and equitable communities. Prior to joining the foundation in 2012, Thompson Payton served as deputy director of the Office of Child Care at the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Thompson Payton has been honored for her leadership in early childhood education by the Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Defense Fund and Temple University Institute on Disabilities.

The Council’s CEO, Dr. Calvin Moore Jr., says, “I am excited to have Eric and Carla join our Governing Board. They each bring professional experiences that will benefit the work we are doing to advance the Council’s mission and vision for the early care and education sector.”

For more information about the Council, visit www.cdacouncil.org.

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“CounciLIVE,” which airs a new episode every 2 weeks  on the Council’s Facebook page, presents renowned authors, professors, CEOs and seasoned educators with decades of experience, all of whom are committed to helping the early childhood sector succeed in its mission to serve children. Episodes will air every other Thursday at 1 PM EST, beginning with the first full-length CounciLIVE episode on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

The conversations are anchored to the Council’s flagship publication, The Essentials for Working with Young Children. Each CounciLIVE episode highlights a functional area from  the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential  competency standards for early childhood educators, such as safety or professionalism, and explores its importance in relation to current events, educational philosophy and research.

Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr., the CEO of the Council and a CDA holder himself, says, “The candidates who earn our CDA credential are well prepared to foster the social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth of young children. Yet right now we all need more connections, support and sharing. CounciLIVE is a vibrant and engaging way to serve our community as well as everyone who works with young children, including parents and families.”

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Patty Berron is an early childhood educator in Texas and COVID-19 has created tremendous disruptions for her this year, as it has for all of us.

One thing that has been consistent for Patty and the 800,000 early childhood educators in her league around the world are the skills and confidences they’ve demonstrated during these tough times because they hold a Child Development Associate certificate (CDA).

“More than ever, it’s been essential to put our profession’s competency standards into practice that I learned through the CDA process. Educating to these standards helps children move with success from one developmental stage to another,” Patty said. “I’ve had to stay updated about health and safety procedures. I’ve also had to be creative about using games, songs and children’s imaginations to encourage everyone to wear face masks and regularly wash hands — it hasn’t been easy!”

A valuable certificate

I know the CDA’s value because I earned one myself nearly three decades ago and it made me a better teacher. Now, I lead the nonprofit that administers and issues CDAs. Our focus includes encouraging those looking to make a job change to consider early education, including men wanting to switch careers. We also continue our effort to show all child care providers that they are valued professionals who deserve salary increases and job security.

Patty shared another story with me. She once had a 3-year-old named Julio in her class who had always been under his grandmother´s care and was nervous to stay at the center.

Patty’s training led her to look for clues about how to engage Julio. She noticed he was interested in cars and trucks because his dad was a mechanic. So Patty quickly put together a model toy car for Julio to engage with in his own area of the classroom.

She then pretended her toy car broke down and asked him to fix it. Julio went to work and made the little car speed along again, just like his dad does in real life. This creativity and interaction gave Julio the confidence he needed to feel comfortable at the center, where he’s excelled at learning and making friends.

This is the kind of caring and insightful activity that occurs every day at child care centers, in home settings, and with visits from trained home visitors. It’s also the type of thing we need even more of as we work to make up for the learning losses that have occurred this year because of closures and reduced class sizes. Thankfully, we know our CDAs and all child care providers are up to the task.

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