National Accreditation and Credential Programs

The Montana Early Care and Education Scholarship Program offers three scholarships that are funded by Best Beginnings Quality Improvement monies (a portion of the federal Child Care Development Fund administered by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services).

Apply to the Early Childhood Project for any of the following scholarships at least six weeks prior to submitting your materials to the appropriate organizations. Applicants must be active on The Practitioner Registry. To apply for the Registry or any of the following scholarships, visit the Early Childhood Project.

• Child Development Associate (CDA) Assessment Scholarship – This scholarship pays for the CDA assessment fee of $325.00 (and the renewal assessment fee of $50) awarded when the candidate applies to the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C.  Visit the Council of Professional Recognition for more information about attaining a CDA Credential.
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation – The NAFCC accreditation process is designed for family and group home child care programs. It involves a comprehensive self-study, parent surveys, and an observer visit. The fee is $300 for Enrolling in Self Study, $500 for NAFCC Accreditation and $150 for first and second year renewal of accreditation. Full scholarships are available to cover all three steps of the accreditation process.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation – The NAEYC accreditation process is designed for child care centers, preschools, school-age programs, and kindergartens. Scholarships are available to help pay the costs of the four steps in the NAEYC accreditation process and for the Annual Report fee.