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Infant Toddler Credential

Infants and toddlers are in one of the most critical and rapidly changing developmental stages of their lives. Working with this age group is a specialized practice — and the Maine Infant Toddler Credential is how Maine formally recognizes that expertise.This credential is for practitioners working with children from birth through age three in any licensed setting — child care centers, family child care programs, or other early care environments. It documents your knowledge and skill across seven competency areas specific to infant and toddler care.The Maine Infant Toddler Credential is recognized by the U.S. Office of Head Start as meeting the same educational standards as the Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential.

The credential is built around seven competency areas:

  • Infant and toddler growth and development
  • Health, safety, and nutrition
  • Relationships with children
  • Relationships with families
  • Observation and assessment
  • Curriculum and approaches to learning
  • Professionalism
  • Caring for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families — 30 hours
  • Foundations of Health, Wellness, and Safety — 18 hours
  • Your Professional Development Portfolio — 9 hours
  • Partners in Caring: Families and Caregivers — 15 hours
  • Supporting Maine's Infants and Toddlers: Guidelines for Learning and Development (30 hours) AND Bridge to IT MELDS (9 hours)
  • OR Infant Toddler Maine's Early Learning Development Standards / IT MELDS (30 hours)
  • Introduction to Infant Mental Health: Issues and Practice (18 hours)
  • OR Social and Emotional Learning Birth to 5 (18 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:

  • 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 infants and/or toddlers within the past five years
  • Completion of a minimum of 99 hours of required MRTQ PDN Core Knowledge training within ten years of your application date

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.