Endorsements

The Institute offers three endorsements: Administrator Endorsement, Professional Development Endorsement, and the Technical Assistance Endorsement.

These endorsements are designed to reflect specific roles in early care and education and school age care. Endorsements are held in conjunction with Early Educator Certification (EEC). In North Carolina, over 30,000 individuals work with and/or support the quality of services for children in early care and education and school age programs.

As of January 1, 2025, the endorsement fee is $50.

Endorsement Application Materials

• Administrator Endorsement Application
• PDE/TAE Application (The same application is used for both endorsements.)
• PDE Reference Form
• TAE Client Evaluation Form
• TAE Supervisor Evaluation Form

Tips to Support Your Endorsement Application

• If you are not already certified, you may submit your EEC application along with your endorsement application.
• If your EEC is within six months of expiration, you must apply for EEC renewal before an endorsement will be approved.  Applications may be submitted together.  Learn more about EEC renewal.
• If you were certified on the previous EEC scale, you will be automatically reassessed on the current scale when you apply for your PDE. Submit any new official transcripts at the time of endorsement application, if applicable.
• For PDE and TAE, be sure your resume has a date for when it was last updated.

Administrator Endorsement

The Administrator Endorsement is a voluntary endorsement held in conjunction with EEC and is intended for those who serve in administrator roles in early childhood and/or school age programs.   It may be used by the applicant in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, demonstrating relevant job skills for families served and funders, documenting professional growth, qualifying for participation in training or grant opportunities, and/or supporting an application for an administrator’s position. 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Have at least one year of experience in child care administration. Experience must be in a child care center and include responsibilities such as hiring, staff evaluation, classroom evaluation, planning, oversight of rules and regulations and financial management. Experience in a small family child care home cannot count toward this requirement.
2. Have one of the following: a. At least five semester hours of Early Childhood Administration coursework or b. At least nine semester hours of Business Administration1 coursework or c. DCDEE-issued Administration Credential I, II or III (Certificate or equivalency as verified by DCDEE)
3. Hold a current EEC Level 4 (or higher) certification on the Early Care and Education (ECE) Scale or School Age (SA) Scale. 

Renewal

To be eligible for Administrator Endorsement renewal, individuals are required to do the following:

1. Hold a current EEC. To renew EEC along with the endorsement, submit the EEC application and proof that EEC renewal was completed.
2. Complete one continuing education unit (CEU) or one semester credit in early childhood administration or business administration from a regionally accredited college or university.  College courses and/or CEUs attained to maintain the Administrator Endorsement may also count toward EEC renewal requirements. CEUs must meet all standard EEC renewal requirements.

Professional Development Endorsement

The Professional Development Endorsement (PDE), previously titled the Adult Educator Endorsement, verifies that an individual has met guidelines established by the Institute for education, training and experience that reflect needed qualifications to teach other early educators. The PDE endorses qualifications only as they relate to the PDE guidelines. The provision of the PDE in no way implies or results in endorsement of the quality of continuing education sessions or the content of the sessions provided, nor does it imply that a CEU approval body will issue CEUs for an applicant’s sessions.

Applicants who are on the DCDEE’s Excluded Trainers’ List are not eligible to be endorsed by the Institute.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Hold a current EEC Level 9 (or higher) certification on the Early Care and Education (ECE) Scale or School Age (SA) Scale. The PDE requires a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree; those with a Level 10 on the EEC scale must have a Bachelor’s Degree plus 12 focused semester hours in the field to meet requirements.
2. Have at least three years of experience working on behalf of or with children ages birth to twelve as documented by resume.
3. Optional at initial application: Adult Learning CEU training or college course. Must be at least .5 CEU or 1 semester hour course from a regionally accredited college or university verified as adult learning via course description. 

Renewal

To be eligible for PDE renewal, individuals are required to do the following: 

1. Hold a current EEC.  To renew EEC along with the endorsement, submit the EEC application and proof that EEC renewal was completed.
2. Submit verification of Adult Learning if not documented with initial endorsement. (Current and past faculty are exempt.)
3. Submit two PDE reference forms about instructional experience and effectiveness from professionals who have experience with the applicant’s instruction within the PDE validity period. To be accepted, the average reference score must be at least 3.5 on a 5 point scale. 

Individuals who are teachers or teacher assistants in child care, pre-kindergarten and Head Start settings, school age group leaders and coordinators, family child care providers, administrators, faculty, specialists, education coordinators, trainers, consultants, researchers and more are eligible to be certified.

Find an Endorsed Professional Development Provider

Endorsed PD providers are listed on the Institute’s website to assist early educators in connecting with an endorsed professional development provider. This list is updated monthly.

Adult Learning Course

A course that covers the components of adult learning is optional at the time of application, but is required at the time of renewal.  Contact your local R&R for opportunities to take a course in your community.  If none are available, Teaching Adult Learners is available through Ed2Go. If you take this course, be sure to select the option to enroll via a community college.  This will cut the cost and ensure CEUs are issued.

Please note that we count The Art and Science of Technical Assistance as meeting the adult learning component of the PDE.  If you have completed that course, you have met the adult learning requirement.

Technical Assistance Practitioner Endorsement

The Technical Assistance Endorsement (TAE) verifies that an individual has met the guidelines established by the Institute for education, training and experience that reflect the needed qualifications to provide technical assistance about early care and education or school age care. It is intended for any professional providing technical assistance (mentoring, coaching, and/or consultation services and support) to other adults working in early care and education settings. The provision of the TAE in no way implies or results in endorsement of the quality of the technical assistance services provided.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Hold a current EEC Level 11 (or higher) certification on the Early Care and Education (ECE) Scale or School Age (SA) Scale. 
2. Have a minimum of one year of experience as a TA practitioner in an early care and education and/or school age setting and at least two years experience working directly with children in a teaching or administrative capacity.OR At least five years of experience as a TA practitioner with less than two years experience working directly with children in a teaching or administrative capacity.
3. REQUIRED Submit documentation of completed TA CEU “The Art and Science of TA.”

Renewal

To be eligible for TAE renewal, individuals are required to do the following:

1. Hold a current EEC.  To renew EEC along with the endorsement, submit the EEC application and proof that EEC renewal was completed. 
2. Submit evaluation forms from two different professionals (supervisors and/or previous clients) for at least two different technical assistance experiences within the TAE validity period. To receive renewal of the TAE, an average of 3.5 on a 5-point scale must be earned.

Find an Endorsed T.A.

Endorsed Technical Assistants (TAs) are listed on the Institute’s website to assist early educators in connecting with an endorsed TA provider. This list is updated monthly.

The Art & Science of TA

The Art and Science of Technical Assistance is a 1.6 CEU hybrid training. Contact CCR&R’s Statewide TA & PD Specialist, Dedee Ephraim, at dephraim@childcareresourcesinc.org for availability.