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Leadership and Specialist Credentials

Leadership and Specialist Credentials are designed for early childhood professionals who have already established a foundation in direct care. These credentials recognize advanced expertise — in program leadership, technical assistance, inclusive practice, and family child care — and represent the next stage of professional growth for providers who are ready to deepen their impact and expand their role in the field.

If you have not yet earned a Direct Care Credential, that is a great place to start.

The Specialist Credentials

MRTQ PDN offers four specialist credentials. You pursue the credential that best matches where you are in your career (click each credential title to learn more information). 

  • Director Credential

    This credential is for early childhood professionals who are leading or moving into leadership of a licensed program. It is also designed to support the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Alternative Pathway for Program Administrators pursuing national accreditation.

  • Maine TA Credential

    This credential is for ECE professionals who have moved into roles such as mentor, coach, consultant, or peer-to-peer network facilitator — and for those who are working toward those roles and want to formalize their path. It is built on the understanding that when ECE professionals bring deep subject matter expertise, a strong grasp of adult learning principles, and technical assistance pedagogy together — they can more effectively support the providers they work with. The credential is grounded in Maine's Technical Assistance Competencies for the Early Childhood Workforce. Please note that this is an advanced credential with significant education, training, and experience requirements.

  • Inclusion Credential

    This credential is for practitioners who are committed to creating inclusive environments and want to deepen their expertise in inclusive practice. It is built around three dimensions of quality inclusion: access, participation, and support. Earning this credential benefits the individual practitioner, the programs they work in, and the families and children they serve.

  • Family Childcare Credential

    This credential is for practitioners who operate or work within licensed family child care programs. It focuses on the additional training and expertise needed when caring for children of mixed ages, and covers eight competency areas including child development, family-provider partnerships, health and safety, curriculum, and business and administration practices.

What a Specialist Credential Does for You

Leadership and Specialist Credentials represent a significant milestone in your ECE career pathway. Earning one signals that you have moved beyond foundational direct care practice and developed advanced expertise in a specialized area of the field — whether that is program leadership, technical assistance, inclusive practice, or family child care.

Like all Maine credentials, Leadership and Specialist Credentials advance your level in the Maine Roads to Quality Registry. Your Registry level determines your monthly wage supplement tier through the State of Maine — which means your professional growth has a direct connection to your compensation.

Beyond the financial benefit, these credentials open doors. A Director Credential positions you for program leadership and national accreditation pathways. A Technical Assistance Credential formalizes your role as a mentor, coach, or consultant. An Inclusion Credential demonstrates a specialized commitment to serving all children. A Family Child Care Credential recognizes the distinct expertise of home-based care.Wherever you are on your career pathway, a Leadership or Specialist Credential is the next marker on the road — and MRTQ PDN is here to help you get there.

How to Earn a Specialist Credential

While each credential has its own specific requirements, all Leadership and Specialist Credentials follow a similar process: (click each title to see more information):

Start by completing the required training courses for your credential. You can complete them in any order. These trainings are listed on our training calendar.

Once all of your trainings are complete, you will create an electronic portfolio that demonstrates your competence and reflects on your training and experience. Your portfolio is your opportunity to show what you know and how you apply it in your daily practice.

When your portfolio is ready, you apply online through the MRTQ PDN Registry and submit your portfolio by one of the quarterly deadlines

Depending on the credential, you will demonstrate your practice in person or through a virtual interview with an MRTQ PDN staff member.

The MRTQ PDN Credential Review Team meets quarterly; credentials are awarded for three years with renewal required after three years and every five years thereafter.

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact our credentialing team at mrtq.contact@maine.edu or 1-888-900-0055