Child Development and Education

• Child and Adolescent Development
• Early Childhood Education
• Elementary Teacher Education

• Associate Teacher Level I
• Associate Teacher Level II
• Early Childhood Teacher

How to Apply for a Child Development Permit

Review the Child Development Permit Matrix to determine what level you are eligible for, or what areas you may still need to complete. If you are unsure, Saddleback CDE Faculty can help. Contact Christina Smith at csmith78@saddleback.edu or June Millovich at jmillovich@saddleback.edu.

NOTE: A new Child Development Permit structure has been approved and is in development. As of Fall 2025, the current structure is still being used.

The fee for a Child Development Permit is $100. In addition to the Permit fee, applications must have Livescan fingerprinting explicitly done for the CTC application. The cost for the Livescan is approximately $70.

If you are currently working with children ages 0-5 in the state of California:

• The Child Development Training Consortium (CDTC) has first-come, first-served funding to pay for the fees.
• To determine your eligibility and complete your application through CDTC visit the Child Development Training Consortium Website
• CDTC will provide the payment for the permit and reimburse for the livescan fees.

If you are not currently working with children:

• Apply directly through the Commission on Teacher Credentialing Website, following the directions for “Submit a Paper Application”

Both agencies have phone and email support and CTC has a live chat during many hours.

FAQs

Q: What is a Child Development Permit?

Child Development permit is issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and authorizes service in the care, development, and instruction of children in child care and development programs governed by Title 5 and may include programs licensed by Title 22. These permits are designed for individuals working with children ages five and below, including directors and managers of centers. There are multiple levels within the structure of these permits that authorize different levels of care and instruction for young children, as well as supervision of child care and development programs.

Q: Is a Child Development Permit the same as a Certificate of Completion? 

No. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) issues Child Development Permits, and the college issues certificates. Most of the time, certificates and degrees are automatically awarded by the college once the coursework requirements are complete, and you can also specifically petition for your awards in your MySite. Child Development Permits must be applied for separately.

Q: How do I get a copy of my Child Development Permit?

The Commission no longer mails documents to educators. You must print the permit document from the CTC website using your Educator Account. Written instructions and a video tutorial are available on the CTC page here.

Q: Where can I find additional information about Child Development Permits and the Application Requirements?

• Commission on Teacher Credentialing FAQs for Child Development Permits
• Child Development Training Consortium Permit Stipend FAQs

Q: How can I meet the Associate Teacher Permit work experience requirement of 50 days of at least 3 hours per day if I don’t currently work in a preschool?

The CDE department offers a Work Experience course which may be an option for students who are not yet employed but need to complete and document their work experience hours. The course is:

CDE 180WE - CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION WORK EXPERIENCE
UNITS: 2
TRANSFERABILITY: CSU Only

Provides an opportunity for work experience in faculty-approved child development and education settings. Student, instructor, and employer will collaboratively develop a minimum of three learning objectives, which will be evaluated throughout the course. Documentation of current immunizations may be required.

It is offered every semester.

For more information, visit the Work Experience Education page.

The CDE Department has a grant from the Child Development Training Consortium that provides stipends to CDE students pursuing a career in early childhood or child development. Grant funding (to support tuition and/or textbook costs) is based on eligibility, submission of a complete application, the number of eligible students, and successful completion of courses with a grade of "C" or better (“P” for passing with units is acceptable). Both CDE and General Education Courses are eligible.

Step 1: Determine Eligibility

Students must meet both Criteria 1 and 2 to be eligible.

Criteria 1

Students must meet one or the other of these two priority options:

Option/Priority 1: Currently Employed in ECE

• Must be an employee of licensed child care settings, including Family Child Care and Head Start programs. Nannies/Au Pairs/Tutors are not eligible.
• Must be enrolled in General Education or CDE courses required for one of the certificates or degrees listed below.

OR

Option/Priority 2: Not Currently Employed in ECE

• Must be enrolled in CDE 121: Practicum Student Teaching
  OR
• Must be enrolled in two 3-unit CDE courses.

Criteria 2

All students must be able to provide an Academic Plan that is approved by a Saddleback counselor. Your plan must show you are approved for at least one of these CDE Programs:

• Associate Teacher I Certificate
• Associate Teacher II Certificate
• Early Childhood Teacher Certificate
• Infant Toddler Certificate
• Early Childhood Education AS-T Degree
• Child and Adolescent Development AA-T Degree

Students who have already completed certificates and/or degrees and are enrolled in CDE 128 and 129 in the same semester are also eligible.

Notes

• Elementary Education AA-T Degree and Liberal Studies A.A. Degree are not eligible for this program.
• You can apply for the stipend prior to your Academic Plan being approved by a counselor, but you won’t be eligible for payment if it has not been approved by a counselor by the time you finish your course.
• Make an appointment with a counselor to get started.

Step 2: Complete Application

If eligible, complete the application process on the Child Development Training Consortium Website.

Submit the Educational Funding Application

• Applications for Summer and Fall Courses are due October 15th, and stipends, if approved, are issued in February.
• Applications for Spring courses are due March 15th, and stipends, if approved, are issued in late June.
• Only Saddleback courses can be entered on the application. If you are simultaneously attending other colleges and may meet their eligibility requirements, separate applications to those colleges are required.

Step 3: Academic Plan Approval

Ensure that your Academic Plan has been approved by a counselor.

Next steps

1. After you have submitted your application, you will receive a notification from CDTC that it has been received, and then later a message that it has been approved, returned for modification, or denied. Explanations will be provided for modifications and denials.
2. Pay attention to emails from Faculty June Millovich requesting grades and proof of Academic Plan Approval.
3. If you have a change of address after completing your application, notify June Millovich at jmillovich@saddleback.edu right away.
4. After grades have been posted in the Fall and Spring Semesters, all students will receive an email to inform them whether or not they will be receiving funding or the reason for why not.
5. Stipend amounts vary depending on how many students apply, how many units are applied for, and how many complete their Academic Plan approval.
6. Once the final stipend calculations are completed, students who will be receiving checks will receive an email stating how much to expect and when to expect it.

For other questions, contact CDE Professor June Millovich at jmillovich@saddleback.edu.

Many early childhood professionals have years of experience, certifications, and other training that were not college credit-bearing and therefore haven’t counted towards college certificates, degrees, transfer, and for the Child Development Permit. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) provides students with opportunities to demonstrate their competencies for specific courses in an alternative manner, allowing them to earn units on their college transcript that can be applied towards certificates, degrees, transfer, and the Child Development Permit.

The Child Development and Education Department offers two options for earning CPL.

Industry Licensure

Through the “Industry Licensure” option, candidates who have previously earned a Preschool or Birth to Five Child Development Associates Credential (CDA) through the Council for Professional Recognition can be awarded 12 units of credit for the courses CDE 7 Child Growth and Development, CDE 15 Child Family Community, CDE 101 Principles and Practices for Teaching Young Children, and CDE 110 Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum.

There is no cost for this option. Meet with a Counselor to get started.

Student-Created Portfolio

Through the Student-Created Portfolio option, candidates can provide documentation and respond to reflection questions aligned to course objectives. A meeting with a CDE faculty member is required to learn about the requirements and determine the course that best matches the candidate's experiences. Once approved, candidates will be added to a Canvas Course Shell in order to submit their documentation for evaluation. A CDE Faculty member will evaluate submissions, and if the submission is sufficient, a grade will be issued for the course.

There is no cost for this option. Meet with a Counselor to get started.

This option is available only for the courses below:

• CDE 7 Child Growth and Development
• CDE 15 Child Family Community
• CDE 101 Principles and Practices for Teaching Young Children
• CDE 110 Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum
• CDE 112 Health, Safety, and Nutrition
• CDE 117 Teaching in a Diverse Society
• CDE 120 Observation and Assessment
• CDE 121 Practicum: Student Teaching.

There are 6-10 objectives for each course. Sample expectations for demonstrating competency for an objective can be found below:

Sample from CDE 15 Child Family Community (This class has eight objectives in total)

Objective 2: This portfolio item is designed to provide evidence of your competency for Child, Family, and Community. Objective 2: Identify how the child develops within a system and is influenced by multiple factors of socialization, including the educational, political, and socioeconomic impacts on children and families.

In order to complete this task, you will gather your evidence and write your reflection. Read the requirements in their entirety, including the rubric criteria, before beginning so that you will know what is expected.

Evidence to Upload

A description of the demographics of the population your program serves, including community needs based on geography, availability of jobs and resources, choices in education locally, languages spoken, health care, food availability, safety, and other unique characteristics.

Review the reflection questions before selecting your evidence to make sure the items you choose will provide a foundation for your responses.

Reflection

How do the community characteristics described in your demographic statement have an impact on the children’s socialization?

How are you contributing to and supporting the children’s socialization in your role as an early childhood educator?  

Sample from CDE 101 Principles and Practices for Teaching Young Children (There are 11 objectives in this course)

Objective 8: This portfolio item is designed to provide evidence of your competency for Principles and Practices for Teaching Young Children Objective 8: Explain how theories of learning and development guide early childhood environment design, curriculum, and teaching strategies.  
In order to complete this task, you will gather your evidence and write your reflection. Read the requirements in their entirety, including the rubric criteria, before beginning so that you will know what is expected.

Evidence to Upload

Activity plans and photos of your classroom.

Review the reflection questions before selecting your evidence to make sure the items you choose will provide a foundation for your responses.

Reflection

Discuss how the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, Erickson, and Bronfenbrenner influenced your decisions in:

A. Designing the environment - room arrangement, color selections, etc.
B. Selecting materials and setting up activities - materials chosen, activity layout, etc.
C. Determining the teacher's role - your guidance and participation during activities
D. Determining instructional methods - strategies and approaches

For each item above (A-D), choose two theorists and explain their influence on your decisions.   
Be sure to reference each theorist at least once in your reflection.

More information about Credit for Prior Learning can be found in the Saddleback College Catalog.

Students interested in teaching Transitional Kindergarten through High School in a Public School setting will be required to have a California Teaching Credential.

All credentials are earned after you complete a bachelor's degree (4-year degree) or in some cases, institutions have blended programs where some credential courses can be taken near the end of the baccalaureate program.

Saddleback College does not offer a bachelor's degree program. However, students can take lower division courses, including general education courses and Associate Degrees (2-year degrees), in preparation for transfer to a bachelor's degree program. Meet with your counselor to determine the best path for you!

For more information and assistance, visit the Commission on Teacher Credentialings' Roadmap to Teaching Webpage, which shows each step of becoming a teacher here in California. Take a look to see how to get started on your road to a career in education! On the roadmap, you will find:

• Resources to Complete Teacher Training in California
• Resources for Teachers Trained Outside of California
• Types of credentials and assistance in determining what credential to pursue.
• Assistance in finding a program that meets your needs
• Financial resources for teacher candidates