The Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) is a nationally recognized 2 year credential earned by teachers pursuing both professional development and further education in the early childhood field.  The CCP provides Candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of early childhood development and their skills in working with young children.

Professionals exhibiting standards of excellence in child care and early childhood education are recognized by The NECPA Commission, Inc. through the awarding the Certified Child Care Professional (CCP) credential.

The CCP is designed specifically for teachers.  It is especially valuable for teachers who have not completed a college degree or whose degree is in another field.

What makes the CCP unique is that it is a self-paced program. This will vary from student to student and largely depends on the amount of training completed prior to beginning the CCP process.  Typically, the process may take six months to a year to one year to earn the CCP.

To enroll in the CCP program, a candidate must: (1) have a high school diploma or GED, (2) be at least 18 years of age, and (3) be able to speak, read, and write English in a capacity that will allow him/her to perform his/her duties as a CCP.

Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) recipients must renew their CCP every two years by participating in 24 clock hours of Continuing Education in any of the 9 Professional Ability Areas.  Your CCP renewal form (either online or hard-copy), proof of training and payment must be submitted to The NECPA Commission, Inc. prior to the expiration of the CCP in order to renew.  Once approved, the CCP will be renewed for an additional two years. 

The total cost to earn your CCP is $350.00. This price includes the CCP Candidate Packet, enrollment items, the Performance Based Observation, and the Final Exam.

Upon receipt of the CCP Enrollment Packet purchase form, The NECPA Commission, Inc. will deliver the Candidate's Enrollment materials.  The Candidate's  Field Counselor will supervise, assist and support the candidate's activities throughout the CCP process. When the Candidate has completed their CCP portfolio and is ready for their onsite Observation and Assessment, the Candidate will coordinate a date with their Field Counselor. Once the Observation and Assessment has been completed, a date and place for the proctoring of Final Exam will need to be scheduled between the Candidate and their Field Counselor.

Upon completion of the CCP portfolio, the Field Counselor will submit the Candidate's Training Tracker, MIE Data Workbook, Performance Based Observation Guide, the completed Final Exam Answer Sheet, and all provided forms to The NECPA Commission. The materials are then evaluated and graded.

Once the Candidate's portfolio has been graded, the Candidate will be given either an Approved, Pending, or Open File status. The NECPA Commission will notify the Candidate and their Field Counselor of the given status.

Candidate's receiving a Pending status will be sent a Pending Status Letter providing instructions on how to become fully approved. Candidates receive this status because their completed portfolio demonstrated Ability Areas needing improvement. Each Ability Area needing improvement will be specified in the Pending Status Letter and will need to be documented on the CCP Additional Training Form provided. Documented completion of additional training is required within three months of the notification date.

Candidates receiving an Open File status will be sent an Open File Status Letter providing instructions on how to become fully approved. Candidates receive this status because their portfolio was received incomplete, the Candidate showed Ability Areas needing improvement, and/or the Candidate failed to pass the Final Exam. Each Ability Area needing improvement will be specified in the Open Status Letter and additional training needs to be documented on the CCP Additional Training Form provided. Upon submission of the additional training and/or Final Exam results, the new information will be reviewed by The NECPA Commission. Documented completion of the additional training and/or re-submission of the Final Exam is required within nine months of the notification date.

Upon receipt of the CCP Credential, a candidate must renew every two years and document 24 clock hours of Continuing Education within the Nine Professional Ability Areas.

Candidate's receiving an Approved status will be sent a CCP Approval Letter and CCP Certificate valid for two years.

Candidate's receiving a Pending status will be sent a Pending Status Letter providing instructions on how to become fully approved. Candidates receive this status because their completed portfolio demonstrated Ability Areas needing improvement. Each Ability Area needing improvement will be specified in the Pending Status Letter and will need to be documented on the CCP Additional Training Form provided. Documented completion of additional training is required within three months of the notification date.

Candidates receiving an Open File status will be sent an Open File Status Letter providing instructions on how to become fully approved. Candidates receive this status because their portfolio was received incomplete, the Candidate showed Ability Areas needing improvement, and/or the Candidate failed to pass the Final Exam. Each Ability Area needing improvement will be specified in the Open Status Letter and additional training needs to be documented on the CCP Additional Training Form provided. Upon submission of the additional training and/or Final Exam results, the new information will be reviewed by The NECPA Commission. Documented completion of the additional training and/or re-submission of the Final Exam is required within nine months of the notification date.

Licensing requirements vary by state.  The Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) is an accepted form of teacher credentialing for licensing in many states and is nationally recognized.  We recommend that you contact your local child care licensing organization to identify your state's requirements.

The NECPA Commission will confirm the receipt of your Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) renewal application by email.  We ask that you allow at least 4 weeks from receipt date for your approval documentation to be processed.

 If the request to cancel an order is received within thirty (30) days from the purchase date and prior to starting a lesson, a refund minus processing fees will be issued to the purchaser. Any use of the web-based or instructor-based product constitutes full use and negates any refund.