CHAPTER 22. Child Development Program Personnel Qualifications [10380. - 10387.5.]

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC 22.

in effect

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10380. Section 10380.

(a) (1) Child development programs shall include a career ladder program for classroom staff. Persons who are 18 years of age and older may be employed as aides and may be eligible for salary increases upon the completion of additional semester units in early childhood education or child development. The governing board of each contracting agency shall be encouraged to provide teachers and aides with salary increases for the successful completion of early childhood education or child development courses in six semester unit increments. (2) Persons employed as teachers shall possess a permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program. (b) A person who meets the following criteria is eligible to serve in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program: (1) Possesses a current credential issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing teaching service in elementary school or a single subject credential in home economics. (2) Twelve units in early childhood education or child development, or both, or two years’ experience in early childhood education or a child care and development program.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10380.5. Section 10380.5.

Except as waived under Section 10242 and except as stated in Section 18203 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations regarding program directors in schoolage community child care services programs, any entity operating child care and development programs providing direct services to children, as defined in Section 10242, at two or more sites, shall employ a program director who possesses one of the following: (a) A permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing supervision of a child care and development program operating in multiple sites. (b) Any person who meets the following criteria is eligible to supervise a child care and development program operating in multiple sites and serve in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program: (1) Possesses a current credential issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing teaching service in elementary school or a single subject credential in home economics. (2) Six units in administration and supervision of early childhood education or child development, or both. The requirement set forth in this paragraph does not apply to any person who was employed as a program director prior to January 1, 1993, in a child care and development program receiving funding under this chapter. (3) Twelve units in early childhood education or child development, or both, or at least two years’ experience in early childhood education or a child care and development program. (c) A waiver issued by the department pursuant to Section 10242.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10381. Section 10381.

Not later than 95 days after the governing board of a public agency sets the date a person employed by that board shall begin service in a position requiring a children’s center instructional permit or a children’s center supervision permit, that person shall file, on or before that date, with the county superintendent of schools a valid permit issued on or before that date, authorizing the person to serve in a position for which the person was employed. Upon renewal of that permit, that person shall file that renewal with the county superintendent of schools no later than 95 days after the renewal.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10381.5. Section 10381.5.

Notwithstanding Sections 10380 and 10380.5, any person serving as a teacher or program director in a child care and development program that provides service to severely disabled children, as defined in Section 10213.5, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 10260, shall hold an appropriate child care and development permit, be deemed to hold that permit pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10380 or pursuant to Section 10380.5, or meet one or more of the following options: (a) Is a teacher meeting one of the following criteria: (1) Has completed all the following: (A) Twenty-four semester units of coursework, with a “C” or better average, from an accredited institution in any one or a combination of the following areas: psychology, sociology, special education, physical education, recreation therapy, vocational education, early childhood education, and child development. (B) Sixteen semester units of coursework in general education, including one course in each of the following areas: humanities, social sciences, math or science, or both, and English. (C) Completed one of the following: (i) Two experience periods as a paid aide or assistant in a program serving children with exceptional needs or children who are severely disabled. (ii) Three experience periods as a volunteer in an instructional capacity in a program serving children with exceptional needs or children who are severely disabled. (iii) (I) Two or more semester units of supervised field coursework in a child care and development program at an accredited institution, plus one experience period in a program serving children with exceptional needs or children who are severely disabled. (II) For purposes of this subparagraph, “experience period” means paid or volunteer services in a program serving children with exceptional needs or children who are severely disabled for not less than 200 hours. Those services shall have been provided for a minimum of two hours per day during not more than 36 consecutive months. (2) Holds a California special education credential. (b) Is a program director meeting one of the following criteria: (1) Holds a California special education credential. (2) Holds a professional credential, license, or masters degree in psychology, social work, special education, physical education, recreation therapy, vocational education, counseling, early childhood education, or child development, and has completed six semester units of administration and supervision of early childhood education or child development programs, or both. (c) Was employed prior to January 1, 1993, as a teacher or program director in a child care and development program that provides services to severely disabled children.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10382. Section 10382.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a high school student or any other adult shall be selected by the governing board of a public or private agency as defined in Section 10221 to serve as nonteaching personnel to perform noninstructional work. A career ladder shall be utilized in the employment and promotion of such noninstructional personnel. Each such person shall have had a health examination made within the 12-month period preceding the date of employment. Each person shall also submit duplicate personal identification cards upon which shall appear legible fingerprints and a personal description of the applicant.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10382.5. Section 10382.5.

The same fee as that prescribed for a credential provided in Section 44235 of the Education Code shall be charged for either the issuance or renewal of each child development permit authorizing service in the supervision and instruction of children in child development programs or authorizing service as a supervisor in a program.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10383. Section 10383.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall by rule or regulation establish the requirements for the following: (a) The issuance and the renewal of permits authorizing service in the care, development, and instruction of children in child care and development programs, as well as the issuance of emergency permits for this purpose. (b) The issuance and renewal of permits authorizing supervision of a child care and development program, as well as the issuance of emergency permits for this purpose. (c) The periods of duration of the permits set forth in this section.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10383.1. Section 10383.1.

(a) Notwithstanding Sections 10380 and 10383, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing may issue an assistant teacher permit that authorizes the permitholder to assist in the care, development, and instruction of children, subject to the supervision requirements described in subdivision (b). This assistance may include temporarily supervising children independently for no more than 120 minutes per day while the supervising employee leaves the classroom for purposes of offering flexibility for classroom support, during breaks, or escorting children outside of the classroom. The commission may issue a permit under this section provided that all of the following requirements are met: (1) The applicant has at least six units from an accredited institution of higher education in early childhood education, child development, or human development, or a combination thereof. (2) The applicant has an education plan updated each academic year and is enrolled in a course or courses to meet the requirements for the next level permit. (3) The applicant is sponsored by an employer who has a current contract with the State Department of Social Services to be a child development program provider. (b) An employee who holds an assistant teacher permit pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be under the supervision of an employee who holds a valid commission-issued child development permit at the teacher level, or at an equivalent or higher permit level. (c) A contracting agency that employs a person who holds an assistant teacher permit pursuant to subdivision (a) shall maintain a copy of the permitholder’s current education plan in their employee file. (d) A permit issued pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be valid for no more than two years from the date of issuance and shall not be renewed. (e) The number of assistant teacher permitholders employed by a contracting agency at one site shall not exceed 50 percent of the number of classrooms at that site. The contracting agency shall not assign more than one assistant teacher to each classroom. (f) This section shall not be construed to grant to a person issued with an assistant teacher permit pursuant to this section with the rights and responsibilities of an associate teacher permitholder, or equivalent permitholder, or higher permitholder. (g) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement this section by means of childcare bulletins or similar instructions until regulations are adopted. (h) The commission shall implement this section by no later than January 30, 2026. (i) This section shall become inoperative one year after the implementation of the commission’s revised child development permit matrix, or January 1, 2029, whichever is later, and, as of that date, is repealed.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10383.5. Section 10383.5.

Notwithstanding Section 10383 of this code or Section 80111 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, on or before April 30, 2025, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall, by rule or regulation, authorize a holder of a Child Development Associate Teacher Permit to renew their permit without a limitation on the number of renewals if the permitholder completes specified hours of professional growth activities, as determined by the commission.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10384.5. Section 10384.5.

Each county board of education, city and county board of education, or community college governing board may issue temporary certificates for the purpose of authorizing salary payments to child development employees whose child development permit applications are being processed. The applicant for the temporary certificate shall make a statement under oath that the employee has duly filed their application for a permit, together with the required fee, and that to the best of their knowledge no reason exists why the employee should not be issued a permit. The temporary certificate shall be valid for not more than 90 schooldays and only until the permit originally requested is either issued or denied by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10385. Section 10385.

(a) A person employed by a public or private agency in a position requiring a child development permit for the supervision and instruction of children, or for service as a physician, dentist, or nurse, or in the supervision of the child development program, shall be deemed to be employed in a position requiring certification qualifications. (b) Each other person employed by an agency in a child development program under the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed for all purposes, including retirement, to be a person employed by the agency in a position not requiring certification qualifications. (c) A district may lay off an employee required to have such a permit at any time during the school year for lack of work or lack of funds or may provide for the employee’s employment for not to exceed 90 days in any one school year on an intermittent basis which shall not be deemed probationary service. The order of layoff shall be determined by length of service. The employee who has served the shortest time shall be laid off first, except that no permanent employee shall be laid off ahead of a probationary employee. A permanent employee who has been laid off shall hold reinstatement rights for a period of 39 months from the date of layoff. (d) Service performed prior to September 18, 1959, shall not be included in computing the service required as a prerequisite for attainment of, or eligibility to, classification as a permanent child development employee. (e) A person who is employed by an agency as a probationary employee in a position requiring a child development permit for the supervision and instruction of children, or for service as a physician, dentist, or nurse, or in the supervision of the children’s program and who has served in such a position for three complete consecutive school years as defined in Section 44908 or 87468 and Section 44975 of the Education Code or Section 87776 of the Education Code immediately prior to September 18, 1959, may be dismissed only in accordance with the provisions of Section 44949 or 87740 of the Education Code. (f) Other persons who are employed as probationary employees in positions requiring such permits on or after September 18, 1959, may be dismissed in accordance with the provisions of Section 44949 or 87740 of the Education Code.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10387. Section 10387.

Every employee of a child development program who before their employment in the program was employed by the agency maintaining such program in a position entitling the employee to membership in, and who was a member of, the retirement system maintained by such district, and if such employee’s contributions to such retirement system were returned to the employee when the employee was employed in the program, such employee shall have the right to elect, by written document filed with the Board of Administration, Public Employees’ Retirement System, at any time within 90 days after the date upon which the notice of the right to make such election is mailed by such system, either to the member’s latest address on file in the office of such system, or to the office of the governing board of such agency or agencies, and prior to the date of retirement, to contribute to such system, subject to minimum payments fixed by the Board of Administration, and in one or more sums, or in not to exceed 60 monthly payments, an amount which, when added to the employee’s accumulated contributions, including interest, transferred as required in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 24810 of the Education Code, will make a total amount equal to the accumulated contributions, including interest, which would have been credited to the employee in such plan, if the employee had never had their contributions returned to them. Such employee shall pay to the Public Employees’ Retirement System interest on the unpaid balance of the amount payable to such system, beginning with the date of transfer, at the rate of interest currently used from time to time under the system. If such employee elects to make, and makes, such contributions and pays such interest, but not otherwise, the employee shall receive credit under such employees’ system, as state service, for all prior service rendered while the employee was not a member of such plan.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 10387.5. Section 10387.5.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall establish standards for the issuance of the permits herein provided for. The standards may be changed from time to time, but changes therein shall not affect then valid permits issued to persons.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026