Find a Professional Development Opportunity
The Arizona Early Childhood Career and Professional Development Network and Workforce Registry does not license, recommend, endorse, guarantee, control or regulate any professional development provided on this list of resources. The Arizona Network and Registry provides information that can assist you in your search for professional development opportunities and providers. Responsibility for choosing a professional development opportunity or provider rests solely on the consumer.
Arizona Early Childhood Professional Development Providers
Arizona Department of Education Early Childhood
The mission of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) unit is to provide leadership and support to schools, organizations, educators, families and communities in implementing programs that assist all children from birth through age 8 to become successful lifelong learners.
Arizona Department of Education Professional Development
The Professional Development Capacity Building Team’s focus is on systemic approaches to dramatically increase the quality and outcomes of professional learning.
Association for Supportive Child Care Early Childhood
Community Trainings for Child Care Providers located in Apache, Coconino, Gila, Maricopa, Navajo, Pinal and Yavapai Counties
Child and Family Resources, Inc Early Childhood Bulletin
Community Trainings newsletter for child Care Providers located in Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Pima, Santa Cruz and Yuma Counties.
DES Child Care Professional Training (CCPT)
Child Care Professional Training (CCPT) is designed to provide comprehensive employment preparation for clients of the ADES/Jobs Program and other individuals, with a minimum or no experience in the field of child care and who have an interest in the entry level positions of Assistant Teacher-Caregiver, and/or Family Child Care Provider.
Easter Seals Blake Foundation – Training and Support for Child Care Providers
Easter Seals Blake Foundation’s Children and Family Services provide a number of programs designed to improve the efficacy of early childhood education providers (whether in home, school, or center-based settings).
Southern Arizona Family Support Alliance
Updates to better serve home visitation & parent education programs in Southern Arizona.
Southwest Human Development – Early Childhood Training
The agency is committed to training that is interactive and applicable to everyday work with children and families. Key elements include group participation, discussion of real-life problems and implementation of ideas learned during the training experience.
The Arizona Department of Health Services Strong Families Alliance
Strong Families AZ offers professional development opportunities for home visitors. All professional development opportunities are listed on the Strong Families AZ Home Visitor Portal. Sign up for the Home Visitor Portal at www.strongfamiliesaz.com to access the professional development opportunities.
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
These Cooperative Extension programs are designed to link educational and community resources to people who are looking for ways to improve their family’s health and well-being.
Web-Based Education & Professional Development Opportunities
Child Care Education Institute (CCEI)
ChildCare Education Institute® provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings. Over 100 English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start training requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that satisfy the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, CDA Renewal, Director and Early Childhood Credentials.
Early Educator Central (for Infant & Toddler Professionals)
A major focus of Early Educator Central is the infant-toddler workforce as well as those who support them including administrators of early childhood programs; trainers and coaches; higher education professionals and coursework developers; and professional development (PD) systems leaders.
Successful Solutions Professional Development LLC
The 120 hours of CDA training meets the educational requirements of the National Child Development Associate Credential.
CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge
CONNECT Courses are self-paced and self-guided and designed for professionals who work with or support young children and their families in a variety of learning environments and inclusive settings.
QRIS National Learning Network
The QRIS National Learning Network is a coalition of national and state leaders who work to advance the QRIS knowledge base. We produce periodic reports, toolkits and papers on a variety of QRIS topics and host several public webinars annually.
Care Courses offers over 65 excellent and convenient distance-learning courses in a wide variety of interesting and helpful topics. Students can do them wherever and whenever they wish and have 12 months to complete their courses. We have helped thousands of early childhood professionals meet their state training and director credential requirements, get and renew their CDA and CCP credentials, and renew their NAC credential.
Create an online Care Courses account to order courses, access your order/course history, and take courses and course quizzes. Email or phone our offices for friendly, live assistance. We offer unlimited free support, free certificates, and free grading.
AIR Child Care Training Solutions
AIR Training Solutions provides over 100 hours of online professional development in English and Spanish to meet your licensing requirements and earn CEUs.
Training and Support
The statutes and rules regulating child care centers and group homes (Department of Health Services) as well as certified small family child care homes (Department of Economic Security) in Arizona are available using the links below.
Fingerprinting
Fingerprint Clearance Cards and background checks are requirements for Child Care Providers in the state of Arizona.
Licensure & Regulation
State of Arizona Licensure and Regulations for Child Care Center Providers, Child Care Group Homes, and DES Certified Small Family Child Care Homes.
Health Requirements
All child care providers contracted with DES must complete initial (pre-service) training on Health & Safety within the staff member’s first 90 days of hire date.
CPR and First Aid Training and Certification
DHS Tools in the Registry
The Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) Bureau of Child Care Licensing has added functionality in the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry to make your licensing visits easier.
You can now digitally log all of your staff’s licensing requirements in the Registry and this will shorten the time licensing surveyors spend on-site. By participating, you will also have all records in one place!
First Things First is funding access to a free, unlimited online training library for eligible early childhood professionals. Teachers, assistant teachers, directors, and family child care providers at DHS licensed programs and DES certified homes who are serving children birth through age five, not yet in kindergarten, are eligible for this opportunity.*
*Currently, Head Start programs will not have access. However, tribal and seasonal/migrant Head Start programs will have access.
CCEI Online Training Library Access
Learn how to access the CCEI professional development catalog through your Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry account with our User Guide or instructional video below.
CCEI New Employee Orientation Pathway
There is a pathway specific to new employee onboarding that meets the DES initial Health and Safety requirements (Foundations I not included) and covers all of the DHS 10-Day Checklist for Training of New Staff Member licensing requirements. The New Employee Orientation includes 35 hours of professional development and can be used with both new employees and seasoned employees who could benefit from foundational trainings. All courses in the New Employee Orientation pathway are available in English and Spanish.
CCEI Webinars
Professionalize Your Business
If you are helping a family member, a neighbor or your friends by providing child care for their children, are you interested in taking the next step to professionalize your business? If so, one of your first steps is to create a profile in the Registry.
When you join the Registry, you will have all of your education and employment information in a verified report that can be used to help you get regulated. You will also become a part of the Arizona Early Childhood Network and receive our monthly newsletter that will connect you to jobs, scholarships, early childhood professionals, and many other resources.
Professional Development
Keep track of your early education trainings and professional history in one place! Review your Registry information, identify areas for growth, and customize your own professional development plan.
Educational & Professional Development Reports
Easily pull a verified report listing your annual trainings, college degrees, and certificates.
Achieving Quality Care
Differentiate yourself by knowing evidence-based practices to better care for and educate young children. You can use the Workforce Knowledge and Competencies to guide you in achieving your best.
Early Childhood Community
When you join the Registry, you will join an early childhood community through our monthly e-newsletter that gives your access to jobs, resources, and events that can help advance your career.
Requirements
Learn about the basic requirements for becoming an early childhood professional.
News
Get articles and information to help you learn more about the early childhood education profession.