WASHINGTON — The Council for Professional Recognition, an organization that supports early childhood education professionals and administers the Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential, will host the organization’s first-ever Virtual Capitol Hill Day.
More than 300 early childhood educators who have earned their CDAs have registered to participate and meet with members of Congress and their staff to discuss the issues that matter most to the sector and the families they serve. These topics include why more CDA®-credentialed educators will help more young children receive the care they deserve. The Council’s Virtual Capitol Hill Day will take place March 28-April 1.
“The pandemic has impacted early childhood education in ways that we could not have imagined,” says Dr. Calvin Moore Jr., CEO of the Council. “We have a tough road ahead, but I am optimistic. The CDAs who will participate in the Virtual Capitol Hill Day will be sharing their personal experiences in working with children and how we can best support our youngest learners and the early childhood professionals that serve them and their communities.”
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to speak with members of Congress,” says Linda Hassan Anderson, the Council’s Board President and Chief Program Officer at Center for Equity and Inclusion (Portland, OR). “We are grateful to our educators for their engagement, especially as they continue to provide quality educational experiences while navigating how best to keep children safe and healthy.”
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 on career advancement in early childhood education.