Foothill Family Service
Building Brighter Futures for Children and Families
Parents to Professionals
Are you interested in a career in Early Childhood Development field?
Program Overview:
Foothill Family’s Early Childhood Development Workforce Program aims to empower parents and caregivers in our communities with opportunities for and access to valuable education and job training to build lifelong financial security for themselves and their families. The Parents to Professionals Program is designed to develop and strengthen your knowledge and skills to enter the field of Early Childhood Education workforce. By participating in the Parents to Professional Program, you will receive guided support, instruction, and hands-on experience to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. The program is aligned with Early Head Start Program Standards. By the end of your time in the Parents to Professional Program, you will be ready to enter the Early Childhood Development workforce.
What is a CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential?
- The CDA Credential is a nationally recognized credential has been accepted as a minimum requirement for working in many early childhood centers
- Helps early educators meet current state and national professional requirements
- With a CDA, you are more capable to meet the specific needs of children and work with parents and other adults to nurture children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth in a child development setting
- For this program, you can expect to complete your CDA within 1 year
- Your CDA cohort will meet twice a week for 2 hours (4 total hours) to complete training in the 8 CDA subject areas
- 2 different track options - Home Visitor CDA and Center-Based CDA
Who Should Seek the CDA Credential?
- Anyone interested in working with infant, toddler, and preschool aged children (Birth – Age 5) in center-based care as well as those in family childcare homes.
Why should I join Foothill Family's Parents to Professional Program?
- You will have an opportunity to enter (or re-enter) into the workforce with guidance and support from Foothill Family staff.
- Free tuition support and coursework materials
- You will have hands-on experience working in an Early Childcare Provider setting or Home-based setting
- One-on-one meetings to identify employment readiness and skills
- The program is carefully designed to deliver types of professional learning experiences that truly impact educator practice.
What are the requirements for the Parents to Professional Program?
Credential Program Requirements
| Educational Requirements: | High school diploma or equivalent* |
| Experience Requirements: |
|
| Language Skills: | Ability to speak Spanish, Mandarin, and/or Cantonese preferred, but not
required |
| Availability: | 4 hours of instruction per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One in-person
session and one-online session tentatively from 10am-12pm.** Interning hours in
an Early Childhood setting will also be required |
| Coursework Support: | 120 hours of training in the 8 CDA subject
areas:
1. Planning a safe and healthy learning environment 2. Advancing children's physical and intellectual development 3. Supporting
Children’s social and emotional development 4. Building
productive relationships with families 5. Managing
an effective program operation 6. Maintaining
a commitment to professionalism 7. Observing
and recording children’s behavior 8. Understanding the principles of child development and learning |
| Academic & Career Coaching support: |
|
*If you are interested, but do not have a high school diploma or equivalent, please speak with the Career Coach about possible alternative opportunities.
**The exact times are to be finalized
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
Please contact Kristina Soken at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
How do I apply?
Foothill Family builds brighter futures
by empowering children and families in our community to overcome challenges and achieve success in relationships, school, and work.
Rooted in caring since 1926, Foothill Family provides a broad range of community-based mental health and social services to under-served children and families in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, Glendale, and Burbank.
