DC Approved Child Care Training | Earn DC CKA Training Hours Online

DC approved child care trainings you'll actually want to sit through

Learn practical classroom-ready strategies from a Speech Language Pathologist & Early Intervention Specialist — plus access to digital resources and a community of educators like you!
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Speech-language pathologist preparing child care training materials for early childhood educators
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Browse Live and Self-Paced DC Child Care Trainings

Trainings you'll actually want to finish

Bridging Child Development is an approved training organization in DC

We provide child care training for early childhood providers across Washington, DC — so you can meet your professional development requirements with strategies you'll actually use.

DC Child Care Training Requirements

Everything You Need To Know:

Annual Training Hours by Role:

Staff in licensed child development facilities in Washington, DC must complete annual professional development based on their role and position, to maintain compliance with OSSE (Office of the State Superintendent of Education) licensing regulations:

  • Facility: Child care center | Role: Caregiver | Required Training: 21 hours annually
  • Facility: Child care center | Role: Director  | Required Training: 12 hours annually
  • Facility: Home-based center | Role: Caregiver | Required Training: 12 hours annually
  • Facility: Extended home-based center | Role: Caregiver | Required Training: 15 hours annually

DC Core Knowledge Areas (CKAs):

DC organizes professional development around Core Knowledge Areas (CKAs) — the content domains that ensure educators receive balanced training across key competency areas. Bridging Child Development is approved to train in the following CKAs:

  • Learning Environments

  • Curriculum

  • Inclusive Practices

  • Health, Safety & Nutrition

  • Building Family and Community Relationships

  • Social-Emotional Development and Mental Health

  • Observing, Documenting and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families

Each certificate identifies the specific CKA and content level it fulfills — making it straightforward to document your hours and demonstrate compliance during licensing reviews.

Looking to Advance Your Career?

Beyond completing your annual training hours, Washington, DC early childhood educators can continue their professional growth through OSSE's Professional Development Information System (PDIS) and the Early Childhood Educator Career Ladder. If you want to see what CKA area each course fulfills, click here.

Supporting High-Quality Early Childhood Education in DC

Washington, DC is committed to improving the quality of early childhood education through initiatives like Capital Quality, OSSE's Quality Improvement Network.

Meet Your Trainer

Hi, I'm Kelly
A licensed Speech Language Pathologist, Early Intervention Specialist, Child Care Trainer, and Former Family Child Care Owner

I work alongside teachers every day caring for children with developmental delays, feeding challenges, speech and language disorders, and more.

I kept hearing the same thing: "Our trainings don't teach us this." So I created trainings that do! 

No fluff. Just practical strategies designed to fit naturally into everyday routines with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
Speech-language pathologist working on professional development resources for early childhood educators

Get your Training Hours

Frequently Asked Questions:
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Opening a Child Care Program in Washington, DC

  • If you are planning to open a child care program or work in the early childhood education field in Washington, DC, you must meet licensing requirements set by the OSSE Division of Early Learning (DEL).
  • The best first step is to contact the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning, for the most current requirements and guidance. OSSE's free ECE Help Desk answers questions about requirements in multiple languages.

  • OSSE Division of Early Learning (DEL)
    ECE Help Desk: (202) 478-5903
    Email: osse.earlylearning@dc.gov