Career Ladder
The Utah State Career Ladder is a voluntary statewide training certification program for early childhood workers. Participants receive a certificate and cash bonus for each level of training they complete. For more information you can visit the Child Care Professional Development Institute (CCPDI) website.

Training & Longevity Supplement
The Training & Longevity Supplement is an annual award and bonus available to individuals employed in licensed center and family child care programs. The purpose of this program is to improve the quality of care children receive by improving training and reducing turnover among their caregivers. This will make it possible for children to develop stable, consistent relationships with a limited number of well-trained caregivers. For more information you can visit the Child Care Professional Development Institute (CCPDI) website.

There are also some national programs that you may wish to participate in:

Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential
The CDA National Credentialing Program is a program that focuses on the skills of early care and education professionals. It is designed to provide performance-based training, assessment, and credentialing of child care staff, home visitors, and family child care providers. You can visit the CDA Council website for more information.

National Accreditation
National accreditation is available to early childhood and school age child care programs that meet high standards for best practices.
The following associations offer national accreditation:

• The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredits center-based early childhood programs.
• The National Child Care Association (NCCA) also accredits center-based early childhood programs.
• The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) accredits family child care homes.
• The National After-school Association (NAA) accredits school age child care programs.

Each national association has their own accreditation requirements and procedures. All involve a self-study of the program followed by an observation/validation visit from a national accreditation representative.