Career Ladder

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Levels	I	II	III	IV	V	VI
Education completed	Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals course (45 hours) or Northern Lights CDC approved equivalent	Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential or Northern Lights CDC approved equivalent	A)Completed Vermont Child Care Registered Apprentice or CCV's Child Care Certificate program or Highly Qualified Paraprofessionalor Northern Lights approved equivalent	A)Bachelor's degree in early childhood education or related field*	A)Master's degree in early childhood education or related field*	Doctoral degree in early childhood education or related field*
Education completed			B)Associate degree in early childhood education or related field*	B) with VT Department of Education teaching license: early childhood or early childhood special education endorsement
Experience as an early childhood professional (not cumulative)	1 year	2 years	2 or more years	2 or more years including student teaching		2 or more years
Applications¹	Level I	Level II	Level III	Level IV and Level V

¹Applications: Those awarded Level Certificates may also be eligible for a Recognition Bonus from the Child Development Division. In order to streamline receipt of this bonus, please print and complete this W9 form and submit it with your application

*Related fields may include: child development, human development, education (including special education), child and family studies

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