Illinois requires licensed childcare staff to complete 15 hours per year of continuing education as a condition of state licensing. Program Management training counts toward these requirements — topics such as program administration, supervision, and leadership are recognized qualifying categories under the Illinois DCFS (Rule 407) continuing education requirements. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Illinois and offers IACET‑accredited Program Management courses that staff can complete on demand, with all completions tracked automatically in brightwheel. brightwheel courses auto‑post completed hours directly to the Illinois Gateways Registry.
| Annual CE hours (teachers) | 15 hours per training year |
| Training period | Annual |
| Program Management maps to | program administration, supervision, and leadership |
| Regulatory authority | Illinois DCFS (Rule 407) |
| brightwheel approved in Illinois | ✓ Yes — accepted for Illinois CE requirements |
| Auto‑posts to Illinois Gateways Registry | ✓ Yes — completed course hours post automatically to staff registry accounts |
| Program Management courses in Illinois | View brightwheel courses |
About Program Management (CDA V)
Program Management — CDA Competency Area V — covers the administrative, supervisory, and operational skills needed to run a compliant, well‑organized early childhood program. It is particularly relevant for directors, assistant directors, and lead teachers stepping into leadership roles.
High‑quality early childhood programs require intentional management of people, policies, and processes. Educators who develop Program Management skills build the systems that allow programs to pass licensing inspections, retain staff, and deliver consistent quality for the children and families they serve.
Illinois Program Management training requirements
Illinois childcare staff must complete 15 hours of annual continuing education as a condition of maintaining a license from the Illinois DCFS (Rule 407). Program Management training counts toward these hours — program administration, supervision, and leadership are recognized qualifying CE topics. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Illinois and offers IACET‑accredited courses aligned with the Program Management competency area.
Staff complete brightwheel’s Program Management 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 Illinois licensing audits.
What Program Management training covers
brightwheel’s Program Management courses cover the knowledge and skills early childhood educators need to support children in this competency area. Topics include:
ExceleRate Illinois and Program Management
ExceleRate Illinois is Illinois’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Staff professional development in CDA‑aligned competency areas is a core component of ExceleRate Illinois quality ratings — programs that demonstrate ongoing staff training earn higher ratings. brightwheel’s IACET‑accredited courses align with the professional development requirements recognized by ExceleRate Illinois, and the automatic tracking dashboard makes it straightforward to demonstrate staff training during program quality evaluations.
ExceleRate Illinois →How brightwheel connects to the Illinois Gateways Registry
Frequently asked questions
Other competency areas available in Illinois
Meet Illinois Program Management training requirements with brightwheel
Brightwheel offers IACET‑accredited Program Management courses accepted in Illinois — with automatic tracking and Illinois Gateways Registry auto‑posting built in.
View full course roster
Accreditation: Brightwheel is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.