Online Child Development Associate

Written by:  • Edited by: Laurie Patsalides
Updated Jul 26, 2009
• Related Guides: Child Development | Online Classes

You want your child development associate degree, but you have a life and don't want to have to try fitting classes into it. Read this article that will show you how to take child development classes online so you can have a life and an education!

What is a Child Development Associate?

A child development associate is a degree that allows you to boast of knowledge about young children and how they develop. Why would you want a child development associate, otherwise known as a CDA? There are several reasons listed below.

  • Maximize earning potential. If you like to work with children, write about them, or create learning tools for them, then you need a CDA for people to take you seriously. It lets them know that you don't just want to play with children, you actually have a working knowledge of their development.
  • For use as a stepping stone in your career. Have you ever heard of a potential employer being disappointed that an applicant had a degree? I don't think so! The CDA lets your employer know you are self motivated and able to complete a task such as obtaining a degree. Once you have an associate you can also continue your education in other areas if you wish.
  • Opening a daycare. Though you can open a daycare in a home without a CDA, you are not eligible for government grants that allow you to open a commercial daycare. You would have to hire someone with a CDA to be the director of your own daycare in order to qualify for this grant.

Why Get a Child Development Degree Online?

Life moves fast. Too often the hours of the day fly by. Before you know it, the children are tucked in and you are still trying to tidy up the house before falling into bed. Now, add a traditional course that takes you away from your home for hours a week and you can easily see some of the reasons you should get your child development degree online. But just in case, there are a few more reasons listed below.

  • There are grants and scholarships that will pay for you to take your child development classes online. These are not specific to an online course, but they do not distinguish between online and traditional.
  • Chances are if you want to take child development classes online, you are already dealing with children. That can keep you busy enough, so why create havoc by taking traditional classes instead of online classes?
  • You can take classes online whether or not the school is accredited. The CDA is one of the very few degrees you can test out of after meeting some minimal requirements. If you feel you can pass the test without going through a complete curriculum, you can do so. However, why not take some child development classes online to ensure that you don't waste your time and money when you go to take the test?
  • Why sit in a classroom and hear about child development when you can earn your child development associate degree online, get your work done, then go and spend time with the children while using your new found knowledge in real life situations?

These are just some of the reasons that you should take child development classes online! It's really pretty basic. You can earn your child development associate degree, actually get paid to take your classes online and never spend a dime in gas money, babysitters or time lost at work!


Comments

Showing all 9 comments
 
Lenita Jan 1, 2011 5:08 PM
Right Path?
Hello!
I am very grateful to have run across this article. I am facing a career change. Through work experience and innate passion I have learned that working with children is my destiny. The problem is that I dont have my degree in Education, Early Childhood, or Child development. I have a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in English. I have good experience in the field. I worked in Early Childhood as a Teacher Assistant with a good working knowledge in the field. I've been looking into jobs in Early childhood but every job description says I need a CDA or Associates in Child Development. I have been looking into going back to school so that I may meet the criteria to get a job in this field, but, the information out there is so overwhelming. My ideal goal is to recieve my Master's in Early Childhood Education. Another problem that I am facing is the fact that I am a mother of three young boys with no time to spend in the classroom. Any advice! Your expertise in this field is greatly appreciated.
VERONICA CASTILLO Nov 9, 2010 4:10 PM
ADVICE
HI
MY NAME IS VERONICA .
AND MY LIFE REVOLVES AROUND KIDS. I KNW I SHOULD HAVE STARTED SCHOOL A VERY LONG TIME. AND STILL WANT TO CONTINUE MY EDUCATION IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT. SOMETIMES I JUST DN'T KNW WERE TO START. AND I DID WANT TO GO INTO TO MEDICAL FIELD. BUT I HAVE TO FOLLOW MY HEART AND IT'S WKING W./ KIDS . THANKK U VERONICA
Kathy Foust Nov 4, 2010 7:19 AM
Aleesha
Hi Aleesha! Thanks so much for reading! My suggestion to you is to find out what you need in YOUR state. Every state is different. You might try going to a daycare center in your area and asking them what is required. Minimum requirements will likely include infant CPR and First Aid. You may not need any other classes to work in such a setting. If you do get a job in a daycare, look into the project TEACH grant for obtaining your CDA if that is your wish. Good luck! Kathy
Aleesha Grudzinski Nov 4, 2010 1:57 AM
Child Development Cerificates
I am very interested in working with infants in a infant daycare but have no time for school right now. In order to work with Infants do i need the Infant/Toddler Cerificate or is there any type of child certificate i can get and use? Also with whatever certificate i need in the end, are there online classes for me to take to get it? I am very confused on what i need to work with such young children and how to get what i need online. Any info you have will help me alot, thanks you!<3
Brianna Richardson Jul 25, 2010 4:04 PM
CDA
I currently work in a daycare. I am supposed to be a sub, but i have been thrown into full time teacher mode. Because there are only 2 class rooms in the daycare and both the teachers decided to quit. So I had to take over the infants/2 year old room. I work from 7:30 am to around 6:00 Monday to Friday. I have until 2012 to get my CDA to become permanent until i get it i will only be considered a sub. Do you know which school offers the best ONLINE CDA class? Because i don't have time to go back to school.
Kathy Foust Apr 6, 2010 10:51 PM
Heather
Hi Heather and thanks for reading! To answer your question, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get it even if you don't work at a daycare. On the other hand, if you have to work at a daycare to meet the terms of a grant or scholarship, you may want to seek employment at another daycare or open your own. Thanks! Kathy
Heather Apr 6, 2010 9:13 PM
Heather
I currently work at a daycare and my boss wants me to get my cda. so ive been working on it for a couple of months now and don't wanna work at this daycare anymore. if i quit, is it still possible for me to get my cda?
Kathy Foust Jul 22, 2009 10:42 PM
Help
Hi Jessenia! First, thanks for taking the time to respond to my article. I'd be happy to help you. You might want to look over my article on free child care classes found here http://www.brighthub.com/education/online-learning/articles/35017.aspx as well as my series on opening a daycare here http://www.brighthub.com/education/early-childhood/articles/42718.aspx
Also, I don't know what state you're in so I don't know their specifc regulations, but I do know that in Indiana you don't have to have a specific AS to be the director of a daycare center...but again that's Indiana.
I think the links to those articles may provide you with the information you're looking for other than that. I hope that helped! Feel free to contact me if there is anything else I can help you with.
Jessenia Garza Jul 22, 2009 4:05 PM
CDA
I am currently a Dental Hygienist but I am interested in opening up a day care center. Just not sure what are all the classes I would need and where online I can do all that. I have an associates of applied science degree in dental hyginene. Do you have any suggestions? Going back to school is impossible due to me having 3 kids under the age of 3. All your help will be greatly appreciated.
 
blog comments powered by Disqus
Email to a friend