Professional Development Center

Kids Incorporated offers the Florida Child Care Professional Certificate (FCCPC) courses (formerly called CDA) for early learning professionals throughout the Big Bend region. Three distinct FCCPC courses are offered throughout the year: an Infant/Toddler FCCPC course, a faith-based FCCPC course, and a Preschool FCCPC course. To register for the FCCPC classes, please go to courses.

Financial Aid

Kids Incorporated offers scholarships for FCCPC students enrolled at Kids Incorporated. These scholarship dollars are made available as a result of United Way of the Big Bend funding. In order to qualify, applicants must:

live and work in the same county for which you are applying for funds from
complete a Scholarship Application
submit a letter of recommendation from employer on letterhead
submit a statement of professional goals
Proof of 480 hours of child care experience in the last 5 years submitted on letterhead
Copy of High School Diploma or GED
Copy of 40 hours of state mandated certificates
Copy of First Aid/CPR card

Applicants will be notified in writing of their scholarship eligibility. All required documents must be submitted along with the application for processing. Students who do not successfully complete the training will be responsible for reimbursing Kids Incorporated for the full cost of the training. Scholarships are subject to availability of funding and every effort is made to ensure that scholarships are awarded to a variety of early learning programs.

Download Kids Incorporated Scholarship Application

TEACH Scholarships

The Florida T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program is administered by the Children's Forum and serves as an additional source of scholarship funding for early learning professionals. For more information contact http://www.thechildrensforum.com/teach.htm

State Mandated Classes

Effective August 1, 2007, state mandated classes will be offered at Kids Incorporated by Early Education & Care, Inc. For a listing and schedule of classes, as well as to register for any of the state mandated classes, please contact Early Education & Care, Inc. at 1-800-768-8316 at extension 2287 or extension 2289.

Competency Exams

Students completing each state mandated course must take and complete a statewide competency examination. These exams are offered by the Florida Department of Children & Families and are administered locally by Early Education & Care. (Kids Incorporated has no affiliation with these exams).

To register for your competency exam, phone 1-888-375-3926 or go online to www.myflorida.com/childcare/training and click on View my Transcripts. Type in your last name and social security number or student I.D. Click the button "Register for Competency Exam". Select the desired date and location and print the confirmation page with instructions on where to mail your payment, when to arrive and what to bring. You will also receive a letter by mail. If you need to cancel or reschedule your exam appointment more than 10 days in advance of the exam, you will need to contact the Exam Scheduling Center at 1-888-375-3926. If your exam is less than 10 days away you need to contact the following Training Coordinating Agency at 1-850-872-7550. If you fail to cancel your exam prior to the exam date, you may be required to pay for the missed appointment before registering for another exam.

Training Records

Kids Incorporated maintains PDC training records for six (6) years. It is recommended that students make copies of their credentials, CEU's, course records, etc. and record them on the myflorida website.

If you have training information questions about educational exemptions, staff credential verification requirements, please call 1-888-352-2842. If you have certificates that are not on the myflorida website, you should send the certificates to: Child Care Training Center, 2807 Remington Green Circle, Tallahassee, FL 32308-3752 or contact 1-888-352-2842.

Child Care Credential Unit

If you have questions about Florida child care credentials and renewals, phone 1-866-320-9710.

Trainers

Kids Incorporated trainers are qualified professionals who go through in depth training to provide the most current and up to date information to administrators, teachers, parents and the general public. Trainers are sub-contractors of Kids Incorporated and are evaluated at the conclusion of each course and evaluations are reviewed by the PDC staff. Trainers receive performance evaluations twice a year by Early Education and Care, Inc. (EEC).

Interested in becoming a trainer? Those interested in teaching a FCCPC course should submit a resume and copies of appropriate credentials to Kids Incorporated’s Professional Development Center. All trainers are sub-contractors of Kids Incorporated.

Trainers' Requirements: To teach the FCCPC course you must have the required credentials listed below and attend a Train the Trainer course. Early Education and Care, Inc. periodically hosts a Train the Trainer course at Kids Incorporated.

Trainer Qualifications: Qualified child care professionals approved to teach the Department of Children and Family Services' child care training modules at a minimum must meet the following qualifications:

Be at least 21 years old.
Complete the 6-clock-hour Train-the-Trainer course developed by the Department of Children and Families (call Early Childhood Services at 1-800-768-8316, ext. 2297) to get on the list to be notified of the next Train-the-Trainer course will be held.
Meet one of the following educational experiential credentials verified by the Department of Children and Family Services or its designated representative:

Four year college degree or higher with 6 college credit hours in early childhood/child growth and development, plus, 480 hours experience in a child care setting serving children ages birth through eight years of age or a teaching certificate.
A.S. or A.A. degree in child development, plus 480 hours experience in a child care setting serving children ages birth through eight years of age.
Associate degree with 6 college credit hours in early childhood/child growth and development, plus 960 hours experience in a child care setting serving children ages birth through eight years of age.

Family child care trainers may meet the qualifications listed above in paragraph 65C-22.003(5)(c), F.A.C., or the following qualifications: a high school diploma or GED, a National CDA or a state approved Florida CDA equivalent/FCCPC, three years of full-time experience in licensed family child care within the past five years, and completion of the 6-clock-hour Train-the-Trainer course developed by the department.
The Department of Children and Family Services or its designated representative may require a trainer to attend a specific child care training module prior to being approved.

After attendance of this course, Early Childhood Services will send a person to view you as a trainer. Once that person signs off on you, you can teach any state mandated course.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Continuing education units (CEUs) are now available for the Department of Children and Families' child care training. CEU training has become increasingly more important for the renewal of credentials. Training offering CEU's has met standard trainer qualifications, curriculum design, and a measurement of participant competency. To earn CEU's for training classes, individuals must meet the requirements:

100% attendance of training class
Training class evaluation with your name on it
Passage of competency exam for training class

The CEU's will be recorded on your training transcript and the department's training certificate will reflect CEU's earned for the training class.

(A CEU is a continuing education unit. For every 10 hours of training, it equals one CEU. CEUs state that the training exceeds in-service hours. To obtain a CEU, it usually requires an additional payment. Kids Incorporated offers CEUs at a cost of $25.00 per certificate. CEUs are only given when a class specifies that a person can get a CEU; this does not pertain to state mandated classes.)