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Family Child Care 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 eight competency areas:

  • Child Development and Learning in Context
  • Family-Provider Partnerships and Community Connections
  • Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment
  • Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices
  • Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Content in the Curriculum
  • Professionalism
  • Health, Safety, and Nutrition
  • Administration and Business Practices
  • Getting Started in Family Child Care — 6 hours
  • Foundations of Health, Wellness, and Safety — 18 hours
  • Partners in Caring: Families and Caregivers — 15 hours
  • Environments in Early Care and Education — 30 hours
  • Strengthening Business Practice — 18.5 hours
  • Family Engagement — 2 hours
  • Your Professional Development Portfolio — 9 hours

Choose one MELDS pathway:

  • Infants and Toddlers: Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (IT MELDS) — 30 hours
  • Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS) — 30 hours
  • Preschool MELDS AND Social and Emotional Learning Birth to Age 5 (18 hours) — 30 hours total
  • Links to Learning — 45 hours

If you have previously earned a Maine Infant Toddler Credential, Preschool Credential, or Youth Development Credential, alternative training pathways are available. If you completed required training more than ten years ago or have comparable training from another source, you may also apply for an alternative pathway.

Before applying, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Active membership in the Maine Roads to Quality Registry
  • High school diploma, GED, or HiSet
  • At least 480 hours of documented experience working or volunteering with children within the past five years
  • Completion of a minimum of 120 hours of required MRTQ PDN training within ten years of your application date

f approved, your credential is valid for three years. Renewal requires 45 contact hours of training in one or more of the core competency areas OR a 3.0 credit college course covering a topic related to the ages and development of children you provide care for. 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.