ChildCare Education Institute

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) is an online training provider for early childhood educators, child care staff and center directors in the United States, based at 1155 Perimeter Center West in Atlanta. Its courses "meet state training requirements and are awarded IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs)", in the site's words. The homepage says CCEI has "Graduated over 60,000 early childhood education professionals from CDA and other child care certificate programs" and calls it "the industry leader for online professional development". It says it has "one of the most extensive learning libraries available", put together by former childcare professionals, and pitches directors directly: "Struggling to Keep Your Center Compliant? We get it. Compliance is your first priority."

The course catalog spans multiple age groups and educational topics. Offerings cover Infant and Toddler Care (including infant care and safety in the infant/toddler classroom and toddler curriculum), Preschool Care (understanding and promoting development in preschool years, positive guidance for preschool children), and School-Age Child Care (school-age child development and the school-age child care environment). Health, Safety and Nutrition courses address indoor and outdoor safety, basic transportation, field trip safety, stress management, and nutrition. Administration and Management courses cover technology and social media policies, developing leadership, and building a team environment. Diversity and Inclusion courses include meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, attention deficit disorders, and literacy lessons. Guidance and Classroom Management courses address bullying in preschool, classroom management, and conflict resolution. Curriculum and Assessment courses cover outdoor STEAM activities, project-based learning, and theater arts in early childhood education. Child Development and Learning covers cognitive development, social and emotional development, and brain development. Family and Community Engagement covers advocacy, customer service, parent communication, and parent-teacher conferences. Professionalism and Quality Improvement addresses cultural competence, developing leadership, time management, and establishing growth mindset.

CCEI's courses are "developed and written by a team of leading early childhood experts, including courses by authors Rae Pica and Dr. Pam Schiller", and they cover beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. The course page says "CCEI adds one new course to the Course Catalog each month". Courses are self-paced and online, so students can study "from work, home, a library or anywhere internet access is available". The homepage notes that many students take courses in the evenings and on weekends, and that they save on the gas and babysitting costs of commuting to in-person training. The site is also offered in Spanish, with separate English and Spanish student handbooks.

CCEI states that it "complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard which is recognized internationally as a standard of good practice" and that, as an IACET Authorized Provider, it is authorized to offer IACET CEUs for programs that qualify under that standard. The course page says CEUs can be used to renew a teaching license or toward additional certifications and degrees. It is frank about the limits: acceptance of CCEI coursework varies by state, some material may differ from state or local requirements, and some jurisdictions limit the number of courses per day or course hours recognized for licensing. CCEI asks students to check with their director or regulatory office before enrolling.

The flagship program is CDA (Child Development Associate) preparation. The homepage lists why it says to choose CCEI's CDA program: it is a Council for Professional Recognition partner, includes access to education coach support, is self-paced with a year to complete (or faster if a schedule allows), meets the Council's content area requirements, prepares students for the Council's credentialing assessment process, and awards IACET CEUs for completed training. Beyond the CDA, the menu lists FCCPC, certificate programs (a Special Needs Certificate program is named in a testimonial), staff training, Head Start training, director training, custom course hosting, the Pinnacle Curriculum and a registry service. All students get an exit survey at the end of a program, and CCEI publishes the scores: 97% rated CCEI excellent or good, 97% rated its online learning system excellent or good, 99% would recommend CCEI to others, and 99% were satisfied with their studies.

Testimonials on the homepage are signed with names and centers. Joy Pederson of Alpha Baptist Child Development Center in Jefferson City, TN wrote: "The CCEI program over all was excellent. The registration process was easy and I was quickly registered for the program." Carri Jump of Family Resources in Murphy, NC said of the Special Needs Certificate program that she "liked how the individual sections allowed for returning to content if needed and that you could print your certificates for each individual content topic after completion". Dexter Smith of CCC Truman Child Development Center in Chicago wrote: "I really liked this online course for marketing I think every director should take something like this." Shoshannah Jonathan, a center director at Primrose School of Suwanee West, wrote that "My staff can take courses at school or at home 24/7" and praised the service "from the first sales contact to technical support to personal education coaches". Rhonda Richoux of J.F. Gauthier Elementary in St. Bernard, LA said the coursework "was relevant and challenging", and Heather Shugart of The Village Academy in South Saint Augustine, FL wrote that CCEI "relates directly to my job". Meghann Budnick of Colchester, CT noted that "The courses were organized and the staff very helpful and quick to answer any of my questions." The homepage also carries a video of child care professionals describing their experience.

Buying works two ways. Individual options are "Flexible options for individual educators, including course hours and annual subscriptions". Center options are "Cost-effective annual group training packages tailored for child care centers and staff management", and the homepage has a button to buy a center subscription. For anyone unsure, CCEI offers a trial course: "Take a Trial Course on Us Today!" with a "START YOUR FREE TRIAL" button and the line "you get to test drive our platform for free!"

The pages shown do not print prices for individual courses or center packages.

CCEI suits early childhood educators at every stage. A new assistant teacher can work toward a CDA with a coach and a year to finish. A working teacher who needs annual training hours or IACET CEUs for a license can pick single courses or a subscription and study at night. A center director can buy an annual center package so the whole staff meets state training requirements, and directors have their own training track, as Dexter Smith's marketing course shows.

The format is self-paced online study rather than live classes, with education coaches as the personal contact in the CDA program. Because acceptance varies by state, the site's own advice to check with a regulatory office first is worth following.