First create and login to your Children's Forum Portal account. Then gather the following materials or information in order to complete the application:
Email address used to create your personal portal account
Proof of residency
Proof of high school diploma (regionally accredited) or GED
Copies of ECE certificates and/or college transcripts
Email address for the childcare program where you are employed
DCF License number of the program where you are employed
School or training program you wish to attend. Check the ECE Education Directory for options available to you.
For best results in submitting or approving an application, or uploading documents to your personal account, use a laptop or desktop computer (not cellphone or tablet) and the Google Chrome internet browser.
Make sure there are no accidental spaces before or after your email address or password.
The Portal recognizes spaces as intentional characters and will prevent your email and password from being received properly.
Once an application has been completed and submitted by applicant and their sponsoring center, it is hidden from view as we process it. You will be informed of the decision status by email within approximately 7-14 business days.
Create/ Update Business Account request form The director of record, or appointed center/ agency representative must submit a request to update the account through our Portal. The request will be reviewed within 2 business days for approval or a request for more information.
The center can login to their business account at any time to approve your application. They are not required to access the account or application from an emailed link. If they do not have a business account yet they can make one now. They do not need an email from us about your application to request a business account
We only accept foreign education evaluations from this approved list
TEACH requires an evaluation for all foreign education. Translation by itself is not sufficient.
The diploma and evaluation must be combined as one .pdf document before uploading it to your personal account. If you need help please call 877-358-3224 Ext1.
We will send you an email (to the email address for your personal account) with an explanation why a document was rejected. Please check your email from a message from RegistryPortal@thechildrensforum.com
TEACH can accept any of the following as proof of high school education
Regionally Accredited High School/ GED
Can be a diploma or a high school transcript
Must include the participants' name, school name and graduation date or month/year
Foreign School Evaluation
Must be evaluated by NACES or AICE members only.
Combine ALL pages of the evaluation and a copy of the original foreign education document as one .pdf document before uploading. Individual pages will be rejected.
College or University Degree
The college or university must be regionally accredited
This can be either a diploma or a college transcript (All pages, degree awarded must be listed)
College or University unofficial Transcript
The college or university must be regionally accredited
Must be a complete transcript (All pages)
**Note: In order to add a Diploma/GED, it needs to show the school's name and date awarded (month/year or full date)
**A major/ degree program must be declared on the transcript.
Director Credential
Staff Credential with no expiration date aka 12/31/2099
Accreditation ensures that the education offered meets specific standards set by a review board that examines the quality and continued development of curriculum. Educational institutions are either regionally or nationally accredited. Accreditation is a voluntary process that ensures a school meets a universal standard for quality. This gives an institution and its graduates credibility with other institutions and employers. See more information on: Regional Accreditation vs. National Accreditation
The most commonly overlooked question in the Employer section of the application is the last question that asks if the director has finished approving the application. They must click the button to change from “no” to “yes” and submit the application to us.
Applications will disappear from view as they are being processed. When the contract is awarded it will be shown under the MyTEACH tab in your personal account.
Counselors are assigned by the school you selected to attend. They assist with all of your scholarship questions, claims, and keep you on track with the next steps in your education. Consider them a valuable resource toward your professional development goals. When the application has finished processing, the contract and counselor will be listed in your personal account under the MyTEACH tab > contracts tab
The sponsor is the employer/ early childhood program place of employment; they agree to cover a portion of tuition or fees on most scholarship models.
The contribution split is how the center informs us which level of sponsorship they choose (on National CDA fee only, and credential renewal scholarship models) or if they will issue a raise or bonus at the completion of the scholarship contract.
The purpose of the staff credential requirement is to ensure individuals in childcare programs have advanced their education and experience in order to provide developmentally appropriate care.
To qualify for a staff credential, a childcare professional must have one of the following:
Florida Childcare Professional Credential (FCCPC),
Florida Department of Education Childcare Apprenticeship Certificate (CCAC), or
Early Childhood Professional Certificate (ECPC).
The Child Development Associate® (National CDA) Credential™ is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE), and it is a key steppingstone on the path of career advancement in ECE. The CDA® is based on a core set of competency standards that guide early childhood professionals toward becoming qualified educators of young children. Currently, the Department of Children and Families recognizes the following credentials as meeting the definition of National Early Childhood Certificate
Child Development Associate (CDA)
National Childcare Association
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
American Montessori Society (AMS)
Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
Earn a Florida Staff Credential for the first time, with the option to add NCDA fee
Get help paying for the National CDA assessment fee ONLY- if you have already taken the required 120 hours training
Get help paying for a Second setting/ additional type of National CDA- fee ONLY
Formal Education Qualification (FEQ) Earn a Florida Staff Credential which will never expire by taking 2 college credit classes in ECE in addition to your previously earned 2-year degree or higher