Reaching for the Stars - Oklahoma Department of Human Services

Direct Care Organization: any licensed child care facility, whether they are a home or
a center, that is registered with the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry
located at CECPD.
Director’s Certificate of Completion (DCoC): a 24 college credit hour certificate
awarded by the Scholar’s program and is available for directors and assistant directors,
and family child care home providers only. The CoM must be completed along with a
designated computer and business course. The Scholars program offers a tuition
scholarship to eligible providers.
Director’s Certificate of Mastery (DCoM): a 33 college credit hour certificate available
only through OSU-Oklahoma City. The Scholars program offers a tuition scholarship to
eligible directors, assistant directors, and family child care providers for this credential.
Diversity: the inclusion of people of different abilities, races, genders, or cultures in a
safe, positive, nurturing environment.
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Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R): an assessment
tool approved by Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) for classrooms
with children 31 months to 5 years. (See ERS definition)
Early childhood professional development: a continuum of learning and support
activities designed to prepare individuals for work with and on behalf of young children
and their families as well as ongoing experiences to enhance this work.
Early childhood professional organization: an organization that supports the
professional development of early childhood teachers and that promotes improvements
in services to young children. Some organizations are listed in the resource section of
this document.
Early Education: Pathway to CDA: a comprehensive CDA curriculum that consists of
17 units of CDA training through technology centers and prepares child care providers
for the national CDA credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition.
Courses can be taken online or in the classroom. The Scholars program offers a tuition
and assessment scholarship to eligible providers.
Early Head Start: a program sponsored by a Head Start agency or “grantee” that
provides low-income pregnant women and families with children from birth to age 3 with
family-centered services that facilitate child development, support parental roles, and
promote self-sufficiency.
Educational Professional Development Plan (EPDP): a written plan that documents
an individual’s goals to remain current regarding knowledge and practices in the field of
early childhood education/child development and personal professional advancement.
A PDP helps individuals stay organized in meeting required training deadlines, plan for
and track required training to renew credentials that expire, develop a list of meaningful
training for the individual, and develop a plan to progress in the field of ECE.
Child Care Centers 49 Effective 7/1/12