The quality of a child’s care and education depends on the care environment and the interactions that take place there. A professional credential can expose a teacher to a greater variety of knowledge and skills, which in turn benefit the classroom where the child spends most of the day.
This indicator was not updated for the State of Babies Yearbook: 2023. This indicator denotes whether a state has adopted a professional credential for infant and toddler teachers. There is not a consensus definition of infant/toddler professional credentials; they can include continuing education hours and credit programs. This information was collected by Zero To Three from the State Capacity Building Center and was supplemented with information from the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCECDTL). These data have not been vetted with states.
Chen, J. J., Martin, A., & Erdosi-Mehaffey, V. (2017). The process and impact of the infant/toddler credential as professional development: Reflections from multiple perspectives and recommendations for policy. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(3), 359-368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-015-0767-5
Source:
Zero to Three (2019). State Policy Tracker. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/360-state-policy-tracker#downloads