Just Starting Out
You do not need experience to start a career in early childhood care. You need curiosity, a commitment to children, and a willingness to learn. The rest MRTQ PDN can help you build.
Before anything else, take a look at Your Orientation to the Field. It walks you through what early childhood care actually looks like as a career, what you will need before you start working with children, and how Maine's ECE system works. It is the best place to begin.
Ready to Take Your First Steps with MRTQ?
Every provider's pathway begins in the same place — with the Registry, your education and training, and a degree or first credential. Here is where to start:
Join the Registry
The Maine Roads to Quality Registry is Maine's official professional record for ECE practitioners. Joining is free and it is where your career pathway officially begins. Every training you complete, every credential you earn, and your years of experience are recorded there.
Start Your Training
Core Knowledge training is the foundation of professional practice in Maine ECE. On-demand options are free and available anytime. You can begin training before you are even working in the field. Our facilitated trainings are instructor-led courses that connect you with other providers working through the same material at the same time — building knowledge and community together.
Explore Your First Credential
Once you are working in a licensed program and building your training hours, your next milestone is earning your first credential — formal recognition from the State of Maine that you have demonstrated expertise in working with children. The credential you pursue will depend on the age group you work with.
What Comes Next?
The pathway does not stop at your first credential. Once you have established your foundation the next stages open up — deepening your expertise, expanding into new settings, or eventually moving into leadership and mentorship. You are at the beginning of something with a real future.