(a) “Child Development Permit” means any permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing which authorizes service in the care, development and instruction of children in a child care and development program. Child Development Permits were formerly referred to as Children's Center Permits.

(b) “Child care and development program” means any state licensed center-based child care and development program operated by a person, association, organization or school district legally authorized to conduct such programs.

(c) “General education” means course work from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in subject areas other than early childhood education and/or child development. The candidate must have earned a “C” or above in each course to be accepted.

(d) “Supervised field experience” means instruction performed in a child care and development program for college credit which is supervised by a person approved by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

(e) “Early childhood education/child development course work” means college course work from a regionally accredited institution of higher education primarily related to children ages five years or younger. Twenty-five percent of the course work may be extended to cover children ages five to, and including, eight years. The candidate must have earned a “C” grade or above in each course to be accepted. The coursework must be non-remedial. “Non-remedial” coursework for the purpose of this section shall be defined as coursework that is applicable toward an associate of arts degree or higher at a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

(f) “Commission approved alternative education programs” means training which occurs outside of a regionally accredited institution of higher education that has been approved by the Commission to meet all or part of the requirements for obtaining a Child Development Permit. Commission approved alternative education programs must meet criteria established by the Commission in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction in order to be applied toward the Permit.

(g) “Child Development Associate (CDA) credential” means a nationally recognized certificate issued by the CDA Credentialing Commission in Washington DC.

(h) “Professional growth” means participation in activities that contribute to a permit holder's competence, performance or effectiveness in the early childhood profession. Such activities may include but are not limited to college or university coursework, conferences, workshops, institutes, academies, symposia, and staff development programs.

(j) “Aide” means an individual who cares for and assists in the development and instruction of children under the supervision of a CDP Associate Teacher, Child Development Permit (CDP) Teacher, CDP Master Teacher, CDP Site Supervisor, or CDP Program Director. An aide may not be supervised by a CDP Assistant. An aide is not required to hold a Child Development Permit.

(k) “Adult supervision coursework” means a course that helps Child Development Permit candidates develop knowledge and skills for effective communication with and supervision of adults.

(l) “Accredited Home Economics Related Occupations (HERO) program” means a high school training program that is certified by the Home Economics Education Unit, California Department of Education, and uses curriculum developed by the Home Economics Education Unit to train secondary students to serve as aides or assistants in a child care and development program. Such training qualifies an individual to obtain a Child Development Assistant Permit.

(m) “Regional Occupational Program (ROP)” means a program designed to prepare secondary students or adults in one of a variety of occupations. When such training is in child development related occupations, it may be used to qualify an individual to obtain a Child Development Assistant Permit.

(n) “School-Age Emphasis” means that the permit holder has completed coursework relating to children and youths from birth to age 14. The coursework must be non-remedial.

(o) “Program year” means 175 days of three or more hours per day working in a child care and development program.