In an effort to create a more qualified workforce, the city of Washington D.C. increased its minimum education requirements for early childhood professionals in 2016.
Under the regulations, by 2022, workers within childcare facilities must obtain at least a Child Development Associate (CDA) certification. To progress within the field, an associate’s or bachelor’s degree is also required.
The decision was controversial, especially to those individuals who had been working in the field for decades without credentials. However, research has shown that a child’s critical stage for development occurs between birth and five years old.
“People who work with children should be skilled in working with children,” said Patricia McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University. “Not just because they have done it. But also there is contemporary knowledge about everything from the emotional well-being of children to how children learn and acquire language. So just doing it on instinct alone is good, but it doesn’t really provide the educational context that children need.”
To encourage more individuals to pursue a career in early childhood education and meet D.C.’s educational requirements, Trinity, American University’s (AU) School of Education and Martha’s Table, a D.C.-based nonprofit, have collaborated to launch Elevate Early Education.
“We are all very much aware that our teacher pipeline is not a healthy one,” said Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, dean of AU’s School of Education. “We are in need of more teachers. And after COVID-19, we are seeing a lot of teacher loss. There is a huge need to create pathways for people to become educators. Affordable and accessible pathways. And that is what we are all about.”
The Elevate Early Education initiative allows students to earn “stackable credentials” to create seamless pathways between the two universities. It is designed for high school seniors interested in early childhood education and individuals already in the workforce.
