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Staff Hiring and Qualifications

Head Start Teachers & Assistants and Early Head Start Primary Caregivers:
1) Prior to hiring, forward a copy of the Michigan Childcare Background Check eligibility letter to your coordinator within 24 hours of receipt. This letter must be on file before staff work with HS or EHS children.

2) Prior to hiring, send a copy of the qualified applicant's early childhood education or child development degree and/or transcripts to your Coordinator. Teacher qualifications for each position are outlined in the section below.

3) If considering an applicant who does not have the required early childhood education or child development degree, but might qualify with a related field degree and equivalent coursework, collect the applicant's transcripts and complete the relevant Coursework Review and Analysis form found below. Send the completed form to the NMCAA Collaborative and Center Based Manager for approval.

                                                                        EHS Coursework Review and Analysis Directions and Worksheet               
                                                                        HS Coursework Review and Analysis Directions and Worksheet

4) New staff must complete their APOT paperwork packet within the first week of hire. Click here for APOT guidance and paperwork.
5) Required trainings for EHS:
  • EHS teachers must complete the GOLD Interrater Reliability certification for Infants, Toddlers, & Twos by the beginning of the program year (or within 30 days of hire) and renew every 3 years to remain certified.
  • EHS teachers must complete an Infants, Toddlers & Twos Creative Curriculum training by the beginning of the program year.
  • CLASS training within the first year of hire.
6) Required trainings for HS:
  • HS teachers must complete the GOLD Interrater Reliability certification for preschool by the beginning of the program year (or within 30 days of hire) and renew every 3 years to remain certified.
  • HS teachers must complete the Studies training by the beginning of the program year.
  • HS teachers must complete a Creative Curriculum for Preschool training by the beginning of the program year.
  • CLASS training within the first year of hire.

Teacher Qualifications

Head Start Teacher Qualifications

Lead Teachers must meet one of the minimum requirements below at the time of hire:
  1. an associate degree or bachelor degree in child development or early childhood education,
  2. an associate degree in a related field and coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education, with experience teaching preschool aged children,
  3. a baccalaureate degree and has been admitted into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam, such as Praxis II, participated in a Teach For America summer training institute that includes teaching preschool children, and is receiving on-going professional development and support from Teach For America's professional staff.
Assistant Teachers:
  1. at a minimum have attained a CDA credential or State-awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential,
  2. are enrolled in a program that will lead to an associate or baccalaureate degree,
  3. or are enrolled in a CDA credential program that will be completed within two years.

Early Head Start Teacher Qualifications

Primary Caregivers must have at a minimum a CDA credential or comparable credential, and have been trained or have the equivalent coursework in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development at the time of hire.

Applicants who have a Preschool CDA can be considered for an EHS Primary Caregiver position if they have training in infant and toddler care. This might include:
  • 3 college credit hours in a course specific to infant/toddler care and development,
  • at least 4.5 CEUs specific to infant/toddler care and development,
  • or other comparable infant/toddler college coursework or certification. Talk to your coordinator if you have more questions about this.

Other Staff All other center staff providing direct services to infants and toddlers for an extended period of time and/or are regularly scheduled in an EHS classroom must have been trained in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler care and development.
CDA vs an Associate's Degree in Child Development
It is easy to confuse a CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential with an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development. A CDA Credential is earned by completing 120 course hours, passing a competency test, compiling a portfolio, and completing a verification visit. An Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development is a degree earned through an accredited college or university and would include a minimum of 60 semester credits with a focus on Early Childhood Education or Child Development.

Long-Term Substitutes (30 days or more)

Long-Term Substitutes for Head Start and Early Head Start Positions
Finding qualified staff is a very real challenge both regionally and across the nation. 
  • When a classroom is covered by a long-term sub (a sub who is in the classroom longer than 30 days), a Substitute Teacher Professional Development Support Plan (aka Sub Support Plan) is required to support the substitute teacher and ensure they have the knowledge and training necessary to fulfill the roles and responsibilities of the position being covered. See Head Start Program Performance Standard 1302.91 below:
    • Head Start Program Performance Standard 1302.91: A program must ensure all staff, consultants, and contractors engaged in the delivery of program services have sufficient knowledge, training and experience, and competencies to fulfill the roles and responsibilities of their positions and to ensure high-quality service delivery in accordance with the program performance standards. A program must provide ongoing training and professional development to support staff in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities​
  • The center must continue to seek applicants until the position is filled with a qualified person, even when there is a substitute in the classroom who has a Substitute Teacher Professional Development Support Plan. Please send job posting links to your coordinator.

Creating the Substitute Teacher Professional Development Support Plan

What will I do as a Director?
​As the individual responsible for implementing programming and monitoring staff, directors are continuously addressing staff development and professional goals with their teams. The Sub Support Plan is a tool to assist directors with staff development and to help them come alongside their staff to provide ongoing guidance. It also provides a 'road map' for substitutes and teachers to prioritize their professional development.
  1. Individualize: Each Sub Support Plan is individualized based on the sub's education, experience, and background. Possible elements might include: working toward their CDA credential, taking college courses, or attending trainings, and/or receiving  individualized support on focused topics. See #3 in the column to the right for more topics.
  2. Ongoing Monitoring and Oversight: Monitor progress and ensure the sub is staying on track. Assist in preparing documentation of progress to be collected at monthly recaps.
  3. Observation and Reflection: When applicable, observe development and provide feedback and reflection.
  4. Scheduling: Work with staff to stay on track by providing time to work on goals. 
  5. Reimbursement: When approved, submit required paperwork for reimbursement for time set aside for working on action steps or attending trainings.
How does the coordinator help with this plan?
  1. Review and Assist: Review plans and assist in the development of the plan if needed.
  2. Documentation and Resources: At recaps, collect documentation on the plan progress and offer resources. 
  3. Consultation: Provide consultation on specific topics identified in the plan such as GOLD documentation and checkpoints, GOLD Interrater Reliability, Screening tools, Lesson Planning, Daily Schedule and Routine, Behavior Management, and Conscious Discipline, etc.
  4. Observation and Reflection: If requested, complete observations and provide feedback and reflection. 
  5. Funding for Materials and Resources: Purchase any approved materials or resources identified in the plan.
  6. Funding for Trainings and Courses: Provide funding for approved courses or trainings. (e.g., registration costs, subbing, CDA application, etc.) 
  7. Troubleshoot Challenges: Along the way a sub may want to change direction with their plan or feel stuck in a particular action step.  If that happens, coordinators can troubleshoot with the director and teacher to identify possible course corrections. 
  8. Communication: Coordinators will communicate with directors each month if progress is stalled to determine next steps.
HSPPS 1302.91 (e)(2)(ii), HSPPS 1302.91 (e)(3), HSPPS 1302.91 (e)(1) Staff Qualifications
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