WV · Tiered Reimbursement System
West Virginia — CDA & ECE Workforce Credentials
West Virginia treats CDA and ACDS apprenticeship as parallel pathways to ECCAT authorization for assistant teachers in WV Universal Pre-K classrooms.
Data current as of April 2026.
CDA acceptance & requirements
- Lead teacher requirements: West Virginia DHS Bureau for Family Assistance child care licensing accepts CDA among lead teacher qualifications. Having a CDA qualifies the holder to work as an assistant director or lead teacher in a Type I, II, or III child care center. Within publicly-funded WV Pre-K (Pre-K Universal), the ECCAT (Early Childhood Classroom Assistant Teacher) Authorization governs assistant teacher requirements.
- Assistant teacher (in WV Pre-K classrooms): Must hold the ECCAT Authorization issued by the WV Department of Education. Permanent ECCAT PK-3 authorization can be obtained by holding a valid CDA OR by completing the four semesters of the ACDS (Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist) program.
- Director requirements: Education + administrative coursework + experience.
- QRIS / Tiered Reimbursement: West Virginia operates a Tiered Reimbursement System with Tier I (basic licensing), Tier II, and Tier III. Higher tiers require defined proportions of qualified staff. Workforce credentials are central scoring criteria.
- T.E.A.C.H. & apprenticeship: T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® West Virginia is administered through state partners. ACDS is West Virginia's USDOL-registered ECE Apprenticeship — operated through River Valley Child Development Services (RVCDS) — a 4-semester program with 3,200-4,000 work experience hours; classes meet weekly, available statewide.
State-specific ECE workforce credentials
- Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist (ACDS) — Issuing agency: USDOL Registered Apprenticeship in partnership with River Valley Child Development Services (RVCDS). Four 15-week semesters; required minimum 20 hours/week working with children birth-12. ACDS completion = ECCAT Authorization (alongside CDA).
- ECCAT Authorization (Early Childhood Classroom Assistant Teacher) — Issuing agency: West Virginia Department of Education. Required for assistant teachers in WV Universal Pre-K classrooms.
- WVDE — Early Childhood Education / PreK-K endorsement — for public-school pre-K lead teachers; bachelor's + state-approved EPP. CDA does not satisfy this.
Notable state context
West Virginia has one of the country's most established and longest-running ECE Registered Apprenticeships (ACDS). ACDS and CDA are explicitly treated as parallel pathways to ECCAT authorization. WV Universal Pre-K is a collaborative model between county school districts and Head Start / community providers.