Quality Start Louisiana

[close] Director

1. On-site full-time director who is at least 21 years old.
2. Meet director qualifications in LA Administrative Code, Title 67, Chapter 73.

Teacher

1. 18 years or older.
2. Within one week of employment staff receive orientation, with content as specified, followed by four days of supervised work with children
3. Complete required annual clock hours of approved training.
4. Meet staff qualifications as identified in LA Administrative Code, Title 67, Chapter 73.

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Directors and teachers must join and maintain a record with the Louisiana Pathways Child Care Career Development System. Director must attend three hours of Introduction to ERS training.

Director (On Site)

1. Three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and
2. Three semester hour credits in administration³ and
3. One year of experience in teaching young children in an early childhood program.

Assistant Director

1. Three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development.²

Teacher

1. 75% of lead teachers must meet one of the following:
• Complete a three semester hour credit course in the care of young children or child development² from a list of approved courses, or enroll in the course and complete within one year of employment.

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One Point

All teachers and directors complete three hours of Introduction to ERS training.

Director (On Site)

1. Six semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and
2. Three semester hour credits in administrative coursework³ and
3. One year of experience teaching young children in an early childhood program.

Assistant Director

Three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development.²

Lead Teacher

All lead teachers must complete three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development from a list of approved courses² or enroll in the course and complete the course within one year of employment.

Assistant Teacher

Fifty percent of assistant teachers must have completed or be enrolled in three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and complete the course within one year of employment.

Two Points

All teachers and directors complete three hours of Introduction to ERS training.

Director

1. Nine semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development,² and
2. Three semester hour credits in administrative coursework³ and
3. One year of teaching experience and one year teaching or administrative experience in an early childhood program.

Assistant Director

1. Three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development and
2. Three semester hour credits in administrative coursework³ and
3. One year of experience in teaching young children in an early childhood program.

Lead Teacher

1. Seventy-five percent of lead teachers must have completed six semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² from a list of approved courses or have completed three semester hour credits and be enrolled in an additional three semester hour credits in the care of young children, child development or related coursework² and complete the course within one year of employment, and
2. One year of full-time experience in an early childhood setting.

Assistant Teacher

Fifty percent of assistant teachers must have completed or be enrolled in three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and complete the course within one year of employment.

Three Points

Directors and all teachers complete three hours of Introduction to ERS and three hours of Understanding ERS training. Directors and lead teachers complete training in social-emotional screening of children. Director completes training in Louisiana’s Early Learning Guidelines and Standards which encompasses information from Louisiana’s Early Learning Guidelines and Program Standards: Birth through Three (DSS, October 2006) and the Louisiana Standards for Programs Serving Four-Year-Old Children (DOE, June 2003).

Director

1. Twelve semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and
2. Six semester hour credits of administrative coursework³ and
3. Three years of experience in an early childhood setting as follows: At least one year of teaching experience and at least one year of administrative experience and one year of either teaching or administrative experience.

Assistant Director

1. Seventy-five percent of lead teachers must have completed nine semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development from a list of approved courses or have completed six semester hour credits and be enrolled in an additional three semester hour credits in the care of young children, child development or related coursework² and complete the course within one year of employment, and
2. One year of full-time experience in an early childhood setting.

Assistant Teacher

Fifty percent of assistant teachers must have completed three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development.²

Four Points

Directors and all teachers complete three hours of Introduction to ERS and three hours of Understanding ERS training. Director and all teachers complete training in social-emotional screening of children. Directors and lead teachers complete training in Louisiana’s Early Learning Guidelines and Standards which encompasses information from Louisiana’s Early Learning Guidelines and Program Standards: Birth through Three (DSS, October 2006) and the Louisiana Standards for Programs Serving Four-Year-Old Children (DOE, June 2003).

Director

1. Fifteen semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and
2. Six semester hour credits of administrative coursework³ and
3. Four years of experience in an early childhood setting as follows: At least one year of teaching experience and at least one year of administrative experience and two years of either teaching or administrative experience.

Assistant Director

1. Three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and
2. Three semester hour credits in administrative coursework³ and
3. One year of experience in teaching young children in an early childhood program.

Lead Teacher

1. Seventy-five percent of lead teachers must have completed 12 semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development from a list of approved courses or have completed nine semester hour credits and be enrolled in an additional three semester hour credits in the care of young children, child development or related coursework² and complete the course within one year of employment, and
2. Two years of full-time experience in an early childhood setting.

Assistant Teacher

All assistant teachers must have completed three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development.²

Five Points

Directors and all teachers and directors complete three hours of Introduction to ERS and three hours of Understanding ERS training. Directors and all teachers complete training in social-emotional screening of children. Directors and all teachers complete training in Louisiana’s Early Learning Guidelines and Standards which encompasses information from Louisiana’s Early Learning Guidelines and Program Standards: Birth through Three (DSS, October 2006) and the Louisiana Standards for Programs Serving Four-Year-Old Children (DOE, June 2003).

Director

1. Associate’s degree in the care of young children, child development or related field, with specific coursework in infant-toddler care and the care of exceptional children or equivalent, such as Director III Louisiana Pathways, and
2. Six semester hour credits of administrative coursework³ and
3. Five years of experience in an early childhood setting as follows: At least one year of teaching experience and at least one year of administrative experience, and three years of either teaching or administrative experience.

Assistant Director

1. Six semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² and
2. Three semester hour credits in administration³ and
3. One year of experience in teaching young children in an early childhood program.

Lead Teacher

1. All lead teachers must have six semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² from a list of approved courses, ,b>and
2. Seventy-five percent of lead teachers must have completed 15 semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development² from a list of approved courses or have completed 12 semester hour credits and be enrolled in an additional three semester hour credits in the care of young children, child development or related coursework² and complete the course within one year of employment, and
3. Two years of full-time experience in an early childhood setting for all teachers.

Assistant Teacher

All assistant teachers must have completed six semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development or have completed three semester hour credits and be enrolled in an additional three semester hour credits in the care of young children, child development or related coursework² and complete the course within one year of employment.

Substitutions allowed for Staff Qualifications

²The following may be substituted to meet this requirement of three semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development:

• CDA, or
• have approved high school child development courses or have five years of full-time experience in an early childhood program, or
• have completed a Child Care Assistant Teacher 1 Louisiana Pathways Classroom Certificate.

The following may be used to meet the requirement of up to six semester hour credits in the care of young children or child development:

• CDA, or
• have completed a Child Care Assistant Teacher 2 Louisiana Pathways Classroom Certificate.

An individual may use the above substitutions to meet the requirements for a maximum of six semester hour credits.

³The following may be substituted to meet the requirement for three semester hour credits in administration:

• Louisiana Pathways Administrator Certificate, or
• National Administrator Credential (NAC), or
• three years of experience in administration, or
• a combination of one year in administration experience and four years in teaching young children in an early childhood program.

Note for Director Qualification: Experience in teaching young children or administration may only be substituted one time. At the next Quality Start review, the necessary educational requirement (credits in the care of young children or child development or credits in administration) must be met.

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