Home > Blog > Do you work for a child care program in Maryland? Learn 3 easy steps to apply for a CDA scholarship!
If you work in child care in Maryland, we have exciting news for you! We are delighted to announce that early childhood educators in Maryland are now eligible to receive full funding to apply for their Child Development Associate® (CDA). Find out more about this opportunity for Maryland-based educators and learn how to submit your funding application below. Funding is limited, so apply today!
This program is a partnership between the Maryland State Department of Education , Division of Early Childhood , Maryland Family Network , and the Council for Professional Recognitio n. Our unique partnership, sponsored by a Maryland State Department of Education grant, provides funding to support Maryland-based child care providers in obtaining the CDA credential.
All registered family child care providers and licensed child care center staff who work in Maryland are eligible.
This grant covers the following:
Since funding is limited, we encourage applicants to submit applications as expediently as possible.
The CDA is a globally recognized early childhood education credential. Over 800,000 CDA credentials have been issued to early childhood professionals since 1985. Learn more about the Child Development Associate® (CDA) here .
The CDA is an important stepping stone in every early childhood educator’s career. It demonstrates knowledge, skills and abilities when working with young children, as well as commitment to career advancement and professionalism.
Candidates from all levels of education and experience gain professional development insights from the CDA certification process, since the evaluation curriculum addresses key practices in the constantly evolving early childhood education field.
The credential opens up opportunities for further career development in early childhood education, and is among the top 20 most requested certifications by employers , according to Indeed.
Ready to apply to earn your CDA credential? If so, applying for funding to cover your application fees is easy! Follow these 3 steps to apply.
1. Set up your profile through the Council for Professional Recognition
First, create an account in the CDA application system. Once you have created an account, you will be assigned a 7-digit customer number ID number, which you will use to complete the next step in the process.
If you are applying to renew your CDA: first, log into YourCouncil to access your 7-digit customer ID number.
2. Apply for funding through the MSDE
Next, complete the Maryland State Department of Education funding form , including your 7-digit customer ID number.
3. Complete your CDA application payment using the Maryland State Department of Education voucher
Last, once you are ready to begin preparing for your CDA exam, you may finalize your application payment on YourCouncil by using the Maryland State Department of Education voucher number that you will receive via email.
This email will arrive after your employment status has been verified by the Maryland State Department of Education (which may take up to 10 days). Please enter your voucher number at “check out” to complete the payment process.
We look forward to receiving your application!
This publication was produced as a work for hire for the benefit of, and with funds from, the Maryland State Department of Education.
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This publication was produced as a work for hire for the benefit of, and with funds from, the Maryland State Department of Education.
Council for Professional Recognition
1441 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
(800) 424-4310
cdafeedback@cdacouncil.org
Council for Professional Recognition
1441 L Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
+1 800-424-4310
Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Elisa Shepherd is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at the Council, where she leads initiatives to advance the Council’s mission and strategic plan through designing, managing, and executing a comprehensive stakeholder relationship strategy.
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education (ECE), Elisa has dedicated her career to developing impactful programs, professional development opportunities, and public policies that support working families, young children, and ECE staff. Before joining the Council, Elisa held numerous roles within the childcare industry. Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President at The Learning Experience and as Senior Manager at KinderCare Education, where she influenced government affairs and public policies across 40 states.
Elisa’s commitment to leadership is reflected in her external roles on the Early Care and Education Consortium Board of Directors, the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, and as the DEI Caucus Leader for KinderCare Education. She has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Early Childhood by Childcare Exchange’s Leadership Initiative.
Elisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on child development from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
