Hawaii requires licensed childcare staff to complete 16 hours per year of continuing education as a condition of state licensing. Professionalism training counts toward these requirements — topics such as professional development, ethics, and career advancement are recognized qualifying categories under the Hawaii DHS continuing education requirements. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Hawaii and offers IACET‑accredited Professionalism courses that staff can complete on demand, with all completions tracked automatically in brightwheel.
| Annual CE hours (teachers) | 16 hours per training year |
| Training period | Annual |
| Professionalism maps to | professional development, ethics, and career advancement |
| Regulatory authority | Hawaii DHS |
| brightwheel approved in Hawaii | ✓ Yes — accepted for Hawaii CE requirements |
| Training records | ✓ Tracked automatically in brightwheel dashboard |
| Professionalism courses in Hawaii | View brightwheel courses |
About Professionalism (CDA VI)
Professionalism — CDA Competency Area VI — covers the dispositions, ethical standards, and professional practices that characterize skilled, reflective early childhood practitioners who are committed to the field and to continuous growth.
Early childhood education is a demanding profession with high turnover and competing pressures. Professionalism training gives educators the ethical framework, reflective skills, and career perspective they need to build sustainable, meaningful careers — benefiting themselves, their teams, and the children and families they serve.
Hawaii Professionalism training requirements
Hawaii childcare staff must complete 16 hours of annual continuing education as a condition of maintaining a license from the Hawaii DHS. Professionalism training counts toward these hours — professional development, ethics, and career advancement are recognized qualifying CE topics. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Hawaii and offers IACET‑accredited courses aligned with the Professionalism competency area.
Staff complete brightwheel’s Professionalism courses on demand — each course is 1 hour, self‑paced, and includes an assessment with a certificate of completion. All completions are recorded automatically in the brightwheel administrator dashboard, making compliance documentation straightforward for Hawaii licensing audits.
What Professionalism training covers
brightwheel’s Professionalism courses cover the knowledge and skills early childhood educators need to support children in this competency area. Topics include:
Hawaii QRIS Pilot and Professionalism
Hawaii does not currently operate an active statewide QRIS. Instead, it runs a limited QRIS Pilot launched in February 2012, covering licensed Family Child Care Homes, Group Child Centers, and Infant & Toddler Centers. The 3‑tier pilot is administered by the University of Hawaii Center on the Family and funded jointly by the Hawaii Department of Human Services and the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation. Professional development in CDA competency areas supports quality tier advancement within the pilot. brightwheel’s IACET‑accredited courses align with the training and competency standards recognized by the Hawaii QRIS Pilot.
Hawaii QRIS Pilot →How brightwheel connects to the Hawaii training dashboard
Frequently asked questions
Other competency areas available in Hawaii
Meet Hawaii Professionalism training requirements with brightwheel
Brightwheel offers IACET‑accredited Professionalism courses accepted in Hawaii — with automatic tracking built in.
View full course roster