WASHINGTON — The Council for Professional Recognition, the nonprofit organization that supports early childhood education professionals and administers the Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential, announced the updated Military School Age Credential (MSA) and its brand-new Competency Standards.
The MSA Credential supports educators who work with youth from 5-18 years of age and is available to all branches of the military. The MSA training helps youth professionals to support children through the unique challenges of military culture, such as parents’ separation due to war or special assignments and frequent family moves.
The updates to the system include:
- New streamlined process that takes considerably less time
- Access to digital MSA materials on the Council’s website
- Optional virtual adaptations
- Updated knowledge of youth development
The updated MSA Competency Standards book addresses the uniqueness of out-of-school time competencies, knowledge and skills needed to work with youth. The Council believes it is critically important that professionals who work with young people can recognize their distinctive needs and provide services to meet them. For over 30 years, the Council has been committed to the success of all out-of-school programs, MSA candidates, and their support networks.
The Council’s CEO, Dr. Calvin Moore Jr., says, “Being a veteran myself, I understand firsthand the challenges military families often face. We heard from the community that there was an appetite for some changes to the approach. We are so excited to be able to provide those seeking the MSA Credential access to more resources and new options.”
The mission of the Council is to promote improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old through the CDA. The CDA is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education and is a crucial stepping stone to career advancement in early childhood education. To date, close to one million CDA credentials have been issued around the world.