Arizona — CDA & ECE Workforce Credentials

CDA acceptance & requirements

• Lead teacher requirements: Arizona DHS Division of Licensing accepts CDA among lead-teacher qualifications in licensed centers.
• Assistant teacher requirements: Minimum age 18, HS diploma/GED, plus orientation training and ongoing PD.
• Director requirements: Higher education + administrative coursework + experience; AzAEYC supports director credentialing.
• State-funded pre-K (First Things First grant pre-K): Arizona Department of Education Early Childhood Education endorsement required for state-funded grant pre-K teachers. CDA does not satisfy this.
• QRIS: Quality First — Arizona's QRIS, administered by First Things First. Workforce credentials are scoring criteria; higher star ratings expect higher proportions of staff with AA or BA in ECE.
• T.E.A.C.H. & apprenticeship: T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Arizona is administered by Association for Supportive Child Care (ASCC). ECE apprenticeship pathways through community college partners.

State-specific ECE workforce credentials

• No separate state-issued ECE workforce credential. Arizona ECE Career Pathway recognizes CDA, AA, BA, and state teacher certification.
• Arizona Department of Education — Early Childhood Education endorsement (Birth-Age 8) for public-school and grant-funded pre-K teachers; bachelor's + state-approved EPP. CDA does not satisfy this.

Notable state context

Arizona's reliance on First Things First (a tobacco-tax-funded ECE board) for state-funded pre-K and quality investments creates a workforce pipeline distinct from the licensed-child-care path where CDA dominates.