Children’s Equity Project and Council for Professional Recognition Partner to Focus on Equity

February 3, 2021
For Immediate Release :
February 3, 2021
For More Information :

Usma Mohamed
news@cdacouncil.org


WASHINGTON — The Council for Professional Recognition is pleased to announce that the Children’s Equity Project has received a grant from Trust for Learning, that will focus on increasing the knowledge, awareness and understanding of early educators on issues of equity, bias and systemic racism. The Council is honored to be partnering with the Children’s Equity Project to further the sector.

The Council, which administers the flagship credential for early childhood education the Child Development Associate® (CDA), is committed to ensuring the credentialing process has an equity lens embedded within it. This work aims to improve the learning conditions of young children of color and other children from historically marginalized communities.

Over the next year, the two organizations will focus on continuous improvement through the:

  • Review of the CDA credentialing process and development of an equity strategic plan
  • Development of a series of equity training modules
  • Presentation of webinars for the field on matters of equity and access

Dr. Shantel Meek, Founder of the Children’s Equity Project, says, “Systemic racism exists in every U.S. system. The early care and education system is no exception, and sadly, even our youngest learners are not immune to its effects. It’s essential that every part of our system centers around equity and identifies actionable ways to address it. We’re thankful for the support, and humbled to partner with the Council, who have led on these issues for decades, on this exciting new endeavor to concretely embed equity into the foundation of the credentialing process.”

Council CEO Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr., says, “Unfortunately, there are many structural inequities in the early care and the education field. This work comes at a crucial time. We want every aspect of our credentialing process to reflect the diversity in the field and give educators the tools to ensure their students are successful.”


ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S EQUITY PROJECT

The Children’s Equity Project (CEP) is an initiative of the Sanford School and is led in partnership with scholars from institutions across the United States including Yale University, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, The Center for Racial Equity and Excellence, and the University of California Los Angeles, among many others. The CEP focuses on closing opportunity gaps and dismantling systemic racism in learning settings to ensure that children reach their full potential. Visit https://childandfamilysuccess.asu.edu/cep

ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings including Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family childcare, and home visitor programs. As a nonprofit organization, the Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing. To date, over 800,000 CDA credentials have been issued around the world. For more information, visit www.cdacouncil.org

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