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Director Credential

Leading a licensed early childhood or out-of-school time program requires a distinct set of skills — guiding teaching staff, supporting program quality, managing operations, and building strong relationships with families and communities. The Maine Director Credential is how Maine formally recognizes that leadership expertise.This credential is designed for experienced directors, administrators, and lead staff in licensed or regulated child care and out-of-school time facilities who are responsible for the daily operation, supervision, and administration of their program. Whether your title is Program Director, Supervisor, Owner/Director, Administrator, or Education Supervisor — if you are leading a program, this credential is for you.The Maine Director Credential also supports the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Alternative Pathway for Program Administrators pursuing national accreditation.

The credential is built around leadership competency areas that expand upon the foundational Core Knowledge Areas to include skills specific to program leadership and management:

Leadership

  • Ethical conduct, mission and vision, and communication skills
  • Personal and professional awareness
  • Adult development, mentoring, and coaching
  • Program evaluation, quality improvement, and strategic planning

Management

  • Human resources — employment policies, staff supervision and development
  • Center operations — facility management, fiscal management, compliance and legal issues, ADA and IDEA
  • Health, nutrition, and safety — implementing policies, pediatric first aid, maintaining a safe environment

Children and Programming

  • Developmentally appropriate practice — curriculum, assessment, partnering with families, children with special needs, classroom management

Families and Community

  • Diverse family systems and cultural competence, community resources

Standards of Quality

  • Maine Roads to Quality Registry and training, NAEYC/NAFCC/COA accreditation, Rising Stars, Maine Child Care Licensing, Early Learning and Development Standards
  • Maine Child Care Leadership Institute I: Building the Foundation for Quality — 30 hours
  • Maine Child Care Leadership Institute II: Leadership in Early Childhood and Out-of-School Time Programs Today — 30 hours
  • Maine Child Care Leadership Institute III: Transforming Leaders and Programs — 30 hours
  • Your Professional Development Portfolio — 9 hours
  • Choose one additional Core Knowledge training (at least 12 hours) not used for another Maine Credential

Choose one MELDS training:

  • Maine's Early Learning and Development Standards — 30 hours
  • Preschool MELDS (on-demand) — 8 hours
  • Bridge to MELDS — 15 hours
  • Supporting Maine's Infants and Toddlers / Infant Toddler MELDS — 30 hours
  • Bridge to Infant Toddler MELDS — 9 hours
  • Links to Learning — 45 hours

If you completed required training more than ten years ago or have comparable training from another source, you may apply for an alternative pathway.

Before applying, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be at least 21 years of age
  • Active membership in the Maine Roads to Quality Registry
  • High school diploma, GED, or HiSet
  • Completion of a minimum of 119 hours of required MRTQ PDN Core Knowledge training within ten years of your application date
  • At least three years of documented experience working in a regulated early childhood or out-of-school time setting, including a minimum of 480 hours (three to six months) of supervisory experience

If approved, your credential is valid for three years. Renewal requires 45 contact hours of relevant training OR a 3.0 credit college course. Initial credentials renew after three years; subsequent renewals every five years.

  • January 15 — notified by February 28
  • April 15 — notified by May 31
  • July 15 — notified by August 31
  • October 15 — notified by November 30

Questions?

Contact our credentialing team at mrtq.credentials@maine.edu or 1-888-900-0055.