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You are passionate about providing young children with quality education and care. Let us assist you in turning your passion into a national credential in early childhood education at no financial cost. You provide the time to earn your CDA and we will pay for it! Enroll today!
Benefits of an Early Childhood Education
Earning your education enhances and advances your career. What are some benefits of an early childhood education?
- Personally and professionally empowering
- Meets many job requirements
- Provides you more career opportunities
- Reinforces your commitment to child care
- Increases your confidence
- Application of new knowledge and skills
- Role model of early childhood best practices
- Provides families with peace of mind
- Your education can never be taken from you!
The Child Care Aware® of Missouri CDA Scholarship Project can help you realize these benefits!
Eligibility for CDA Scholarship Project
Choose if you want to earn your CDA through clock hours or college credit hours.
- To earn your CDA credential through training clock hours, you must:
- Work in a licensed, license-exempt childcare program or as a Six or Fewer Provider
- Work a minimum of 15 hours per week at the child care program
- Worked at lease one month at the child care program
To apply using clock hours, enroll today!
For credit hours, visit the T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI.
Steps in the CDA Scholarship Project
- You met all the eligibility requirements. Now it is time to officially enroll in the Child Care Aware® of Missouri CDA Scholarship Project. Fill in all the information carefully.
- Once you sign and upload your CDA Scholarship Project Agreement, you will receive an email from your CDA Specialist within five business days. They will set up a time to discuss the project with you and get you started on your way to the CDA.
- You are ready for your Clock Hour Audit. Gather all your training certificates, college transcripts with early childhood classes or official letters from CDA training courses that apply to the CDA setting you chose – infant/toddler, preschool or family child care.
- After creating a personal login at www.cdascholarshipmo.org, you will upload the documents you collected.
- You may need more training clock hours. Your CDA Specialist will review all uploaded documents and determine how many clock hours you have and how many you may need. If you need training hours, we can help you find them and pay for some.
- If you want to earn college credit hours while working towards a CDA, we help pay for that too! Ask us about our new T.E.A.C.H MISSOURI CDA Scholarship model.
- Virtual portfolio assistance. Our team provides weekly technical assistance webinars to assist as you create a portfolio. We are here to offer support and help you find resources while on your CDA journey.
- When you are ready to apply for your CDA, Child Care Aware® of Missouri pays your $425 CDA application fee and submits your application to the Council for Professional Recognition.
- We are with you all the way! Your CDA Specialist will stay with you through what to expect during your classroom observation, the verification visit and testing.
- Once you earn your CDA Credential, Child Care Aware® of Missouri pays you $215 and six months later (as long as you stay at your original child care program) another $215!
The CDA Scholarship Project helps you through the CDA credentialing process, pays the application fee and gives you $430 for earning your CDA! Now that is a great deal! We are thrilled to offer this unique educational opportunity and champion the important work you do! Our goal is to ensure your success and empower you to further your career without the usual hurdles.

T.E.A.C.H MISSOURI for a CDA for credit hours
Would you like to earn college credit hours while fulfilling your CDA education requirement too? The T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI Scholarship has a NEW CDA Scholarship model to help you!
Steps in the T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI CDA Scholarship:
- You met all the eligibility requirements. Now it is time to apply for the T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI CDA Scholarship Project. Fill out the application fully and send it to us.
- Once you are awarded a scholarship and send back your signed contract (Form A), you will be ready to register for classes at a Missouri community college. Your T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI Counselor will go over the process with you.
- You earn college credit hours. During your T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI contract, you take 9 to 12 credit hours in early childhood education in classes in the early childhood setting of your choice, infant/toddler, preschool, family child care. You, and your sponsoring employer, pay only 5% of your books and tuition while T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI pays 90% of your tuition and books and all your college fees.
- Once you pass your classes and complete your contract year, you get a bonus! We give you $190 at the end of your contract year and $190 more six months later as long as you stay at your sponsoring employer. That’s $380 total!
- You are ready for your Clock Hour Audit. You will enroll in the CDA Scholarship Project where we will translate your college transcript into early childhood clock hours towards your CDA.
- Virtual portfolio assistance. If you still need to compile your CDA Portfolio, our team provides weekly technical assistance webinars to assist as you create your portfolio. We are here to offer support and help you find resources while on your CDA journey.
- When you are ready to apply for your CDA, Child Care Aware®of Missouri pays your $425 CDA application fee and submits your application to the Council for Professional Recognition.
- We are with you all the way! Your CDA Specialist will walk you through what to expect during your classroom observation, verification visit and testing.
- While you already earned your bonus with T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI, we want to reward you for earning your CDA credential. We will refund you and your sponsoring employer’s 5% of tuition and books. You earn college credit hours and your CDA at NO COST!
Enroll today. Space is limited!

CONTACT INFORMATION
[email protected]
Phone: 314-535-1458
Fax: 314-754-0330
TTY: Dial 711 or 800-735-2966