Training
Starting May 1, 2025 interactive child care training courses offered by the Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC) will no longer review the additional topics required as part of annual training.
THIS CHANGE DOES NOT AFFECT RULE
All providers, directors, designees, and caregivers are still required to train on required rule sections and additional topics as part of their annual training. Training on the required additional topics is not optional. Anyone is welcome to complete training on required rule sections through courses and materials provided by DLBC. For training on required additional topics, you are encouraged to seek out high quality training through other credible sources such as universities, government agencies, or Care About Childcare.
For more information, refer to the additional topics reference manual.
If you are a provider (the owner of the program) you are required to complete:
- New provider training
- Preservice training
- Annual training
If you are a director, you are required to complete:
- Preservice training
- Director training
- Annual training
If you are a designee, you are required to complete:
- Preservice training
- Designee training
- Annual training
If you are a caregiver, you are required to complete:
- Preservice training
- Annual training
If you work for a child care program, but do not provide direct care to children, you are only required to complete preservice training.
New provider, preservice, designee, and director training are all one-time completion requirements. These trainings are meant to give new providers, directors, designees, and employees a general overview of concepts they should be familiar with before they start working in their new role.
Annual training is meant to be recurring, keeping those working in child care up-to-date on important topics.
No.
Annual training is sometimes referred to as ongoing training. This is because annual training should be ongoing, meaning you complete training throughout the year, rather than just as a one-time event.
If you work for one of the following program types, you are required to complete 20 hours of annual training:
- Child care center
- Licensed family child care
If you work for one of the following program types, you are required to complete 10 hours of annual training:
- Commercial preschool program
- Hourly child care center
- Out-of-school-time child care program
- Residential certificate child care
- License exempt approval
If you work for a family, friend, & neighbor program, you are required to complete 5 hours of annual training:
Interactive training means the format allows trainers and participants to interact real-time. Interactive training does not have to be in-person, but can be.
If you work for a residential certificate or licensed family child care program, you are required to complete interactive training as part of your annual training. The requirement is specifically that at least half of your required annual training hours are completed in an interactive format.
There are quite a few topics you must be trained on as part of your annual training. Required topics can be split into 2 broad categories: rules and requirements, and additional topics.
Rules and requirements
The rules and requirements you are required to be trained on are those created and enforced by the Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC). Different programs have different sets of rules, so the following table shows which sections you are required to be trained on based on the type of program you work for.
Additional topics
Additional topics are not optional.
Additional topics refer to topics you are required to be trained on in addition to being trained on the rules and requirements. The following are the additional topics you must be trained on as part of your annual training:
- Administration of medication
- Building and physical premises safety
- Child and brain development
- Children whose special needs may include a disability
- Emergency preparedness, response, and recovery plan
- Pediatric first aid and CPR
- Precautions in transporting children
- Prevention and control of infectious diseases including immunizations
- Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergy reactions
- Prevention of shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, child maltreatment, and coping with crying babies
- Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and the use of safe sleeping practices
- Prevention, signs, and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse, and legal reporting requirements
- Recognizing the signs of an individual experiencing homelessness and available assistance
- Safe handling and disposal of hazardous materials and bio contaminants
Although there may be crossover between some rule sections and additional topics (for example, rule section 17 is about medications and there is an additional topic about the administration of medication) the additional topics should be treated as separate topics.
No.
DLBC offers training resources, but you are not required to complete any of your annual training through DLBC.
Remember, you are not required to attend or complete our interactive training courses. While we would love to have you join us, the amount of courses we are able to schedule is limited.
If you are unable to attend any of our scheduled courses, you may look into our noninteractive training materials, or seek out interactive training provided by other sources.
We are also willing to schedule private training sessions for child care programs, but do require you to schedule at least 3 months in advance. You must also have a minimum of 5 people committed to attending each training session.
