MT · STARS to Quality
Montana — CDA & ECE Workforce Credentials
Montana places CDA at Level 4 on the Practitioner Registry; the state has no universal pre-K, so CDA is the central licensed-care workforce credential.
Data current as of April 2026.
CDA acceptance & requirements
- Lead teacher requirements: Montana DPHHS Early Childhood Services Bureau (ECSB) child care licensing accepts CDA. CDA = Level 4 on the Montana Practitioner Registry.
- Assistant teacher requirements: Minimum age 18, HS diploma/GED, plus required orientation and ongoing PD.
- Director requirements: Montana Director Credential for ECE administrators.
- State-funded pre-K: Montana does not operate a state-funded universal pre-K (one of the few remaining states); pre-K services delivered through Head Start, licensed child care, and tribal programs.
- QRIS: STARS to Quality — Montana's QRIS framework (in periodic redesign). Workforce credentials are scoring criteria.
- T.E.A.C.H. & apprenticeship: T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Montana is administered through Child Care Resources at Montana State University.
State-specific ECE workforce credentials
- Montana Early Childhood Practitioner Registry — Administered by Early Childhood Project (ECP) at Montana State University. Multi-tier career levels recognizing training, CDA, AA, BA, and state teacher cert. CDA = Level 4.
- Montana Director Credential for ECE administrators.
- Montana Office of Public Instruction — Early Childhood Education (P-3) endorsement for public-school pre-K; BA + state EPP.
Notable state context
Montana's lack of state-funded universal pre-K means CDA is the central workforce credential; subsidies (Best Beginnings) and STARS to Quality participation are the principal quality levers. The Practitioner Registry at MSU is the central data and credential infrastructure.