Careers in Early Childhood
Turn a love of kids into a career close to home
Early childhood teachers, caregivers, and program leaders are in demand across Scott County — and there is more than one way in. Start in a high school classroom, build credentials while you work, or finish a degree at a campus minutes away.
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Where to start
Pick the description that fits you best. Each one leads to a local program, and you can move between them as your career grows.
Still in high school
Take the Early Childhood Education program at Prosser, earn college credit while you are still a junior or senior, and graduate with a CDA credential in hand.
Working in a program now
If you work in a licensed, registered, or CCDF-certified program, the state can pay for your CDA credential — free training, free assessment, and a bonus when you finish.
Want a degree
Ivy Tech's Early Childhood Education program and IU Southeast's education degrees turn credits into an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, or a teaching license.
Changing careers
Already hold a bachelor's degree in another field? IU Southeast's Transition to Teaching can add a license to what you already have.
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Prosser Career Education Center — Early Childhood
Prosser's Early Childhood Education program prepares high school students to work with children in the preschool age range, with practice in both traditional and special education classrooms. Students take Principles of Early Childhood Education, curriculum and guidance courses, and a capstone — and can earn up to 18 dual credits at Ivy Tech while still in high school, along with the CDA credential.
- Open to high school students in the area — talk to your school counselor first
- Dual college credit with Ivy Tech (ECED courses) at little or no cost
- Ends with the CDA credential, a nationally recognized early childhood qualification
- 4202 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN 47150 · (812) 542-8508
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Ivy Tech — Early Childhood Education
Ivy Tech's Early Childhood Education program offers courses and credentials that line up with the CDA, so the classes you take count toward a qualification employers already recognize. It is a flexible, affordable way to earn college credit while working in a childcare program, and Prosser students can even take Ivy Tech courses tuition-free while still in high school.
- Associate degree and certificate options in Early Childhood Education
- Coursework aligns with the CDA credential
- Financial aid, Ivy Tech scholarships, and workforce training help are available
- Online and hybrid options alongside area campuses
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Indiana University Southeast — degrees and teaching licenses
IU Southeast in New Albany prepares future teachers with hands-on classroom experience from the start, small cohorts, and one-on-one mentoring. Already hold a bachelor's degree in something else? The Early Childhood Transition to Teaching program is built for career changers: evening classes, a real classroom placement, and a path to an early childhood teaching license in about a year of coursework.
- Undergraduate education degrees with student teaching in area schools
- Early Childhood Transition to Teaching for career changers
- Evening and hybrid classes that fit around a job and family
- 4201 Grant Line Rd., New Albany · (812) 941-2333
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Free CDA credentialing
You do not have to pay your own way to the Child Development Associate credential. Scholarship money from Indiana's Child Care Development Block Grant — administered by the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (Indiana AEYC) — covers the training, the portfolio help, and the assessment fee for people already working in childcare.
Free CDA course for working staff
Indiana Non-Formal Project
The no-cost route if you are already teaching: a full CDA class taught by Indiana AEYC with local adult education partners, plus help through every step of credentialing.
- 120 clock-hours of CDA training, in person, online, or hybrid
- Textbooks, portfolio help, exam prep, and an early childhood advisor included
- The final CDA assessment and credentialing costs are covered
- A $200 bonus after you finish the hours and earn the credential
Scholarships for fees, degrees, and licenses
TEACH Early Childhood Indiana
Indiana's long-running scholarship program for the early childhood workforce, also administered by Indiana AEYC — it helps with the credential itself and with college beyond it.
- Pays 100% of the $525 CDA assessment fee, plus a $200 bonus when the credential arrives
- Associate and bachelor's scholarships cover 90% of tuition and books, with a travel stipend
- Funds the Transition to Teaching graduate certificate on the way to a teaching license
- Open to staff in licensed, registered, and CCDF-certified programs statewide
Who qualifies for the free CDA course
The Indiana Non-Formal Project is aimed at working staff with financial or service need. To be eligible you must:
- You live in Indiana and are 18 or older
- You work 20 or more hours a week in Indiana, directly with children
- Your program is a childcare center, home, or ministry that is licensed, registered, or CCDF-certified by the state
- You hold a high school diploma or a high school equivalency
- You have a current criminal history or background check on file with the state's Office of Early Childhood
- You can verify your household income as part of the application
Classes run across the state with local adult education partners — River Valley Resources in Scottsburg is one of them. Ask Indiana AEYC which class is nearest Scott County by emailing pd@inaeyc.org or calling (317) 275-3547. Completed applications go to nfcdaapps@inaeyc.org.
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Free online training with certificates
Short, free courses are an easy way to start a training record before you commit to a credential. This list covers child development, safety, and classroom skills — and each one ends in a printed certificate you can attach to a job application.
- Free online courses that end in a printed certificate
- A good way to keep learning while you wait for the next free CDA class
- Certificates strengthen any childcare job application
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Paths to QUALITY — get paid to keep learning
Paths to QUALITY is Indiana's voluntary quality rating system. Programs move up four levels by meeting standards, getting coaching, and completing training — and the same training that lifts a program's rating builds an individual résumé. Ask your director where the program is ranked and what training it will pay for.
- Four levels, from health and safety basics to advanced curriculum and mentoring
- Free coaching and training opportunities at each level
- Higher levels can mean higher reimbursement and more support for staff
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Finding a job — or hiring one
WorkOne helps with job searches, résumés, interviews, and training money, and it also works with employers who are hiring. River Valley Resources adds career coaching, help with the FAFSA, and tuition-free workforce training. If you are not sure which door to knock on, Emily can point you to the right person in Scott County.
- WorkOne — job search help, training funds, and employer services
- River Valley Resources — career coaching, FAFSA help, adult education, workforce training
- Local programs hire year round — a CDA or current CPR card makes you stand out
Not sure where to start? That's okay.
Search the directory for what you need, or talk with a real person at Indiana 211. They will listen to your situation and point you to the right local program — free and confidential, any hour of the day.