Children First is committed to offering high quality trainings and technical assistance to early childhood professionals. In our work with Colorado Shines, Qualistar Colorado and the Pueblo Early Childhood Council, Children First is dedicated to the advancement of early childhood as a professional career choice.
Trainings provided by Children First are assured to be presented by qualified trainers who have gone through the Professional Development Information System (PDIS) trainer approval process.
Join the Children First email list serve for training opportunities, family events, job opportunities or early childhood professional happenings. Send your request to join our list serve to childrenfirst@pueblocc.edu.
FREE trainings are available on the Professional Development Information System (PDIS) website.
Teacher Education And Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) provides college scholarships to early childhood education professionals to help them earn early childhood credentials and degrees. Read more about the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships.
Want to post an early childhood job? Send your job announcement to childrenfirst@pueblocc.edu or check out the Early Childhood Job Board at Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment.
For information about licensing, food programs and other resources go to the Helpful Links page.
The Colorado Shines Quality Rating, Credential, Accreditation and CDA
The Colorado Shines Quality Rating is a quality rating and improvement system for all of Colorado’s licensed early learning programs. It encourages and supports programs to improve their quality and to connect with families looking for quality care for their children.
Early learning programs are rated through Colorado Shines on a scale of 1 to 5:
- Level 1: Your program is currently licensed with the State of Colorado.
- Level 2: Your program is licensed and in good standing, plus:
- has a quality improvement plan in place
- has conducted the L2 Quality Indicator Program Assessment
- has registered staff in the Colorado Shines Professional Development Information System (PDIS)
- has completed Colorado Shines Level 2 E-learning Courses
- Levels 3-5: Your program is licensed and in good standing, plus:
- has completed the Level 2 requirements
- has been assessed and rated by a Colorado Shines Quality Ratings Assessor* based on points in five categories (workforce qualifications, family partnerships, administration, learning environment, child health)
Through this system you’ll have access to resources to support you in achieving the highest quality possible.
The Early Childhood Professional Credential 2.0 - The Early Childhood Professional Credential has been revised to support the career development of a broader spectrum of early childhood professionals, recognize alternative pathways that lead to expertise in early childhood education, create more achievable increments between levels, align with the new Colorado Shines Quality Rating and Improvement System, and unify multiple credentialing systems. Apply through the Professional Development Information System (PDIS) website.
National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC Accreditation is a national voluntary accreditation system that has set professional standards for early childhood education center or school based programs. For more information about the NAEYC Accreditation process visit the NAEYC website.
National Association for Family Child Care or NAFCC Accreditation is a national accreditation for family child care homes. NAFCC Accreditation was designed by hundreds of providers, parents, and early care and education experts in an effort to create a quality indicator for family child care programs across the country. Learn more about NAFCC Accreditation.
Child Development Associate or CDA is awarded to an individual who has successfully completed the CDA assessment process. The CDA credential is based on a core set of competency standards, which guide early care professionals as they work toward becoming qualified teachers of young children. Additional details are available at the Council for Professional Recognition website.