Washington DC requires licensed childcare staff to complete annual continuing education as a condition of maintaining their childcare facility license, set by OSSE’s Division of Early Learning (DEL). Child Development Centers require 21 hours per year, Child Development Homes require 12 hours per year, and Expanded Child Development Homes require 15 hours per year. brightwheel is a TAP‑exempt approved training organization — hours count automatically toward DC’s requirement across all 11 Core Knowledge Areas, with no per‑course approval needed.
| Total CE hours | 21 hours per year |
| Cadence | Ongoing employment cycle; certificates on file at facility |
| Regulatory authority | OSSE, Division of Early Learning (DEL) |
| brightwheel status | ✓ TAP‑exempt approved — hours count automatically |
| Total CE hours | 12 hours per year |
| Cadence | Ongoing employment cycle; certificates on file at facility |
| Regulatory authority | OSSE, Division of Early Learning (DEL) |
| brightwheel status | ✓ TAP‑exempt approved — hours count automatically |
| Total CE hours | 15 hours per year |
| Cadence | Ongoing employment cycle; certificates on file at facility |
| Regulatory authority | OSSE, Division of Early Learning (DEL) |
| brightwheel status | ✓ TAP‑exempt approved — hours count automatically |
brightwheel is a TAP‑exempt approved training organization through OSSE DEL — the formal approval gate for DC. Hours count automatically across all 11 Core Knowledge Areas (CKAs); no per‑course review is required. Registry posting to individual staff records is not yet operationalized — brightwheel submits quarterly TAP reports to OSSE, but certificates should be kept on file at the facility for inspection regardless.
| Courses available in Washington DC | View courses across 8 CDA competency areas |
Browse courses by competency area in Washington DC
Each competency area maps to CDA standards and satisfies Washington DC’s continuing education requirements. Select a competency area to explore available courses.
Safe and Healthy Environment
Health and safety, nutrition, emergency preparedness, classroom setup
Physical and Intellectual Development
Child growth, developmental milestones, motor skills, cognition
Social and Emotional Development
Social-emotional learning, behavior guidance, relationships, inclusion
Families
Family communication, partnerships, cultural responsiveness
Program Management
Administrative operations, staff management, licensing compliance
Professionalism
Professional standards, ethics, advocacy, career development
Observation and Documentation
Observational methods, documentation, assessment tools, portfolios
Child Development
Cross-cutting child development principles across all domains
Capital Quality and brightwheel
Capital Quality is DC’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, administered by OSSE’s Division of Early Learning. Programs are assessed using CLASS (teacher‑child interactions) and ECERS‑3/ITERS‑3 (learning environment) observation tools — ratings are observation‑based, not driven by PD hours directly, though staff training quality can influence what assessors observe. As of April 2025, OSSE paused new Capital Quality designations while the system undergoes review; existing designations remain posted, but new or advancing ratings are on hold pending redesign.
Capital Quality →Frequently asked questions — Washington DC
DC‑accepted professional development courses in brightwheel
Brightwheel offers expert‑led, IACET‑accredited PD courses accepted in Washington DC — with automatic tracking 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.