The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential must be renewed every 3 years through the Council for Professional Recognition. Renewal requires 45 hours of continuing education (CEUs), documentation of 80 hours of professional work with children, a current infant/child CPR certification, and a renewal fee of $150. This guide covers every step of the CDA renewal process, approved CEU sources, and how to avoid the most common renewal mistakes in 2026.
The CDA credential renewal keeps your Child Development Associate certification active and demonstrates your continued commitment to professional development in early childhood education. The CDA practice test is valid for 3 years from the date of issuance. If your credential expires, you cannot renew — you must reapply as a new applicant, which requires repeating the full application process and paying the initial application fee of $425.
Renewal applications can be submitted up to 6 months before your expiration date. The Council for Professional Recognition strongly recommends submitting at least 4–6 weeks before expiration to allow for processing. All documentation — CEU certificates, CPR card, and professional experience verification — must be submitted through the Council for Professional Recognition online portal.
The Council for Professional Recognition accepts CEUs from a wide range of sources as long as the content covers one or more of the 8 CDA subject areas:
Each CEU activity must produce a certificate of completion listing the provider name, course title, date, and number of hours. Informal learning (reading articles, self-study) does NOT count.
Your 45 renewal hours must collectively cover the CDA core content areas. You do not need to achieve a minimum per area, but the total must span multiple areas:
Most approved renewal programs are structured to cover all 8 areas in a single 45-hour package — the simplest approach to ensure full compliance.
Online CEU programs are the most convenient option for CDA renewal. These providers offer Council-accepted packages:
For CDA renewal training and renewal courses, always verify the provider issues certificates listing hours and CDA subject area coverage.
Proper documentation is required for ALL 45 CEU hours. Each certificate must include:
Organize certificates by subject area before submitting. The Council's online portal allows PDF uploads. Keep copies of all documents — the Council may request additional verification. Digital certificates from online platforms are fully accepted.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No CDA exam required at renewal — just documentation | New CDA exam required — including the National Early Childhood Program Administration Scale observation |
| Maintains continuous credential on your professional record | Verification visit from an approved Early Childhood Professional must be arranged |
| Existing professional portfolio does not need to be recreated | May lose professional recognition with current employer during credential gap |
Common mistakes cost CDA holders time and money during the renewal process. Here is what experienced early childhood educators recommend:
For what are the requirements for a CDA details, including documentation standards and the initial application process, review the complete requirements guide. Candidates exploring compensation after renewal can review CDA pay data by state and setting.
For a fuller set of questions on this topic, see our cda exam practice questions free resource.
For a fuller set of questions on this topic, see our cda practice test resource.
For a fuller set of questions on this topic, see our cda practice exam resource.
For more details, see our cdacouncil phone number guide. For more details, see our what is a cda certificate guide. For more details, see our what does cda stand for guide.Try these questions from our free Child Development Associate practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.
Which one of the following areas does not have a CDA credential?
Answer: A. School age
Explanation: The area that does not have a CDA credential is ""school age"". This means that there is no specific credential available for individuals working with school-age children. However, there are CDA credentials available for home child care, preschool, and infant care.
Emotional abuse in early childhood most commonly includes which of the following?
Answer: B. Persistent criticism, threats, rejection, or humiliation directed at a child
Emotional abuse involves a pattern of behavior that impairs a child's emotional development or sense of self-worth, such as persistent criticism, threats, rejection, or humiliation.
As far as scheduling free time into the day of preschoolers, teachers should ________.
Answer: B. schedule in free time but provide some structure
Explanation: While it is good to schedule in some free time, it should have some structure. This can be done by providing playstation areas.
What is the purpose of stating classroom expectations as positive statements (e.g., 'Walking feet inside' instead of 'No running')?
Answer: B. It tells children what TO do, which is clearer and more motivating than what not to do
Positive expectations tell children exactly what behavior is desired, making it easier to comply and reinforcing the specific behavior the adult wants.