Ana Lopez of Northeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership (NENCAP) Head Start in Wayne recently obtained her Child Development Associate (CDA) national credential.
Ana started the eight-month CDA series through ESU#1 in September under the instruction of Nebraska Extension Early Childhood Educator Jackie Steffen.
Ana completed 120 hours of training in eight specific early childhood subject areas, clocked over 480 hours of experience, developed a professional portfolio, demonstrated her skills through a Professional Development Specialist (PDS) verification visit and successfully completed a comprehensive test.
"Ana highly values the importance giving young children the opportunity to grow and develop in kind and positive learning environments," Steffen said.
The purpose of the CDA program is to increase the quality of early care and learning through professional development for early childhood professionals. The CDA early childhood credential is recognized worldwide and is a steppingstone for continued career advancement.
Anyone interested in pursuing CDA credentials this fall, is asked to contact Erika Fink, Northern Early Learning Coordinator, at 402-287-2061 or Jackie Steffen, Nebraska Extension Early Childhood Educator, at 402-254-6821.
