Online childcare training courses are a convenient way to learn new skills or refine existing ones. Expanding your knowledge can help you acquire new techniques to help keep children safe and healthy and create a high-quality, inclusive program. Below we explore the best free online childcare training courses with certificates.

Ongoing professional development for ECE staff 

As a childcare center director, it's important to offer professional development opportunities to your staff to help improve their skills and boost children's learning outcomes. This continuing education in the form of seminars, workshops, courses, conferences, or online training, can support your teachers in their career development. Teachers can be exposed to the latest education trends and acquire new skills to become more effective educators.

As part of your center's ongoing professional development initiatives, you can offer budget-friendly, online training courses for staff to choose from based on their individual needs and have them complete it from the convenience of the center or home asynchronously as part of their professional development requirements. While every state has different requirements for childcare staff training, such as a certain number of in-service training hours per year, there are many valuable training resources available that can greatly benefit your staff beyond what's required.

For example, you may have teachers at your center who are working toward their Childhood Development Associate (CDA) credential or need additional continuing education unit (CEU) hours to renew their credential each year. Depending on your center's budget, you may choose to cover the entire cost of training or pay for a percentage of training costs every year for your teachers. However, there are also a number of free training resources to take advantage of that offer helpful information and continuing education credits. Prioritizing your staff's professional growth will show that you value them and are committed to their careers, which can boost employee engagement and retention. 

You can also use your ongoing staff evaluations as opportunities to check in on your teachers’ progress towards their growth goals. By using this time to discuss their professional development, and not just their work performance, you’ll reinforce your commitment to helping them become the best early educator they can be.

With brightwheel, you can easily record your staff's training hours and certifications with our all-in-one childcare management software. Streamline your center's admissions process, save time on administrative tasks, and enable your staff to build deeper relationships with families.

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Free online childcare training courses with certificates

You don't have to spend a lot of money to learn new skills that can be applied in an early education setting. Below are several resources to help you advance your skills.

1. Trauma-informed care and the pyramid model

ProSolutions Training offers a free childcare training course on trauma-informed care and applying these practices to the pyramid model.

"Trauma-informed Care and the Pyramid Model" can be completed in five hours. The course offers a free certificate of completion and 0.50 continuing education credits.

2. Recognizing and reporting suspected child abuse

ProSolutions Training offers a free childcare training course that teaches educators how to recognize signs of child abuse, the importance of reporting suspected abuse, and how to identify children who may be at higher risk of being abused or neglected. 

“Recognizing and Reporting Suspected Child Abuse” can be completed in two hours. The course offers a free certificate of completion and 0.20 continuing education credits.

3. Classroom WISE

The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network partners with the National Center for School Mental Health to offer Classroom WISE (Well-Being Information and Strategies for Educators).

Classroom WISE consists of several modules to choose from that are self-paced and can be completed in five hours. The course offers a free certificate of completion once completed.

The training description specifies the online courses is for K-12 educators, but it deserves a notable mention as many early learning centers include kindergarten readiness programs or a kindergarten class. 

4. Obesity prevention training

Bright Futures offers the free online course "One Step at a Time: Helping Young Children Be Physically Active!" One Step at a Time is a self-guided obesity prevention training course for childcare educators.

The course curriculum consists of three modules. The first module discusses why it's essential for young children to be physically active and explains how much physical activity young children need. The second module covers how childcare providers can promote physical activity in their programs, and the third module gives tips on how to work with families to help encourage children's physical activity.

You can complete the obesity prevention training course in one hour. After completing the self-assessment quizzes at the end of each module, you can download a free certificate of completion. You can also apply for one continuing education hour from your state.

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5. Pediatric first aid

First Aid for Free offers a free online course that teaches you first aid for infants and young children.

The pediatric first aid course curriculum consists of two modules. The first introductory module covers lifesaving skills such the recovery position for unconscious and breathing children and babies, CPR, and what to do in the event of choking. The second module covers common medical conditions including meningitis, asthma, and croup.

The self-guided pediatric first aid course includes a quiz at the end of each module. In addition, educators receive a free certificate once they complete the course units. 

Since this module is self-guided, the time frame depends on how quickly the module and quiz are completed.

6. Watch Me! Celebrating milestones and sharing concerns

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a free training course that teaches early childhood educators how to monitor children’s progress toward developmental milestones and discuss children’s progress with their families. This course includes a free certificate of completion. After completing the course, educators can earn training credit by completing an evaluation and passing a post-test with at least an 80% score.

This course:  

• Explains the importance of monitoring children’s development
• Describes educators’ role in monitoring children’s development
• Explains how to monitor children’s developmental milestones and discuss findings with children’s parents
• Offers 0.1 CEUs

7. Social and emotional competence of children

ProSolutions Training offers a free childcare training course that teaches educators how social and emotional competence in children can make it less likely for children to be mistreated.  

The free “Social and Emotional Competence of Children” course can be completed in two hours. The course offers a free certificate of completion but does not offer continuing education credits, while the paid option ($15.00) offers 0.20 CEUs. 

8. Playing outdoors

Care Courses offers a free childcare training course that teaches educators about the benefits of outdoor play for young children. 

“Playing Outdoors” teaches educators:

• The year-round benefits of outdoor play
• How to recognize outdoor environments and activities that encourage young children to explore their environment
  
  

“Playing Outdoors” can be completed in one hour. The course offers a free certificate of completion and 0.1 continuing education credits.

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9. Working with children with special educational needs (free with a paid certificate)

Global Text Project offers a free Alison course that teaches childcare professionals how to work with children with special educational needs. The course also teaches childcare providers the core elements of special education and the roles and responsibilities of educators.

This course describes the most common disabilities educators encounter in the classroom and explains how to develop an individual educational plan (IEP) for students with special educational needs.

"Working with Students with Special Educational Needs" can be completed in approximately three hours. The course offers a certificate of completion for $21.44 that you can download as a PDF. You can also buy a printed copy of your certificate for $27 and a framed copy for $37.

Local resources for childcare training

If you are looking for childcare training on different subjects from those listed above, here’s a curated list of childcare training resources near you, which may help you and your staff advance skills and meet state requirements. Please note that while many of these courses are free or low-cost, some may have specific eligibility criteria, such as income limits or employment in a licensed childcare facility. Additionally, not all courses are offered online, and availability may be limited based on location or demand. Be sure to review each program’s requirements carefully to ensure you qualify and can access the training that best fits your needs.

Alabama

Alabama DHR Training, with various resources for early childhood educators.

Alaska

Alaska SEED provides free professional development.

Arizona

Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry offers professional development tools and training.

Arkansas

University of Arkansas Extension offers free online training through the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture for childcare providers, which includes professional development credits.

California

California Department of Education offers comprehensive online training for providers.

Colorado

Colorado Shines PDIS offers free professional development courses.

Connecticut

Connecticut Office of Early Childhood provides state-specific training programs.

Delaware

Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood offers free training modules.

District of Columbia

Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) offers a variety of free and low-cost professional development opportunities, including online courses for early childhood educators.

Florida

DCF Training offers free online courses.

Georgia

Georgia Training Approval provides free training programs for childcare professionals.

Hawaii

Child Care Connection Hawaii assists with childcare training programs.

Idaho

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare offers training programs for low-income providers.

Illinois

Illinois Gateways to Opportunity offers free online training for childcare workers.

Indiana

Brighter Futures Indiana provides free professional development courses.

Iowa

Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral offers training and educational resources.

Kansas

Kansas Child Care Training provides free online training.

Kentucky

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services offers free courses for childcare providers.

Louisiana

Louisiana Early Childhood Development offers state-supported training programs.

Maine

Maine DHHS provides a Child Care Subsidy Program with free training.

Maryland

Maryland EXCELS offers professional development for childcare providers.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Early Education provides low-cost or free training.

Michigan

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services offers child care training resources.

Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Human Services provides assistance and training.

Mississippi

Mississippi Early Childhood Institute offers training programs for early educators.

Missouri

Missouri Workshop Calendar offers training opportunities.

Montana

Montana DPHHS provides the "Best Beginnings" training program for childcare professionals.

Nebraska

Nebraska Early Childhood Training offers free online training for providers.

Nevada

Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services offers free training programs.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Connections offers free online courses.

New Jersey

New Jersey Child Care Resource and Referral provides training resources for childcare providers.

New Mexico

New Mexico Early Childhood Education & Care offers free training modules.

New York

New York State OCFS provides free online courses for childcare workers.

North Carolina

North Carolina Child Care Resource & Referral offers free training programs.

North Dakota

North Dakota Growing Futures provides professional development training.

Ohio

Ohio Child Care Training offers free courses and certifications.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Professional Development Registry provides free and low-cost training.

Oregon

Oregon Early Learning Division offers training and certification courses.

Pennsylvania

Better Kid Care from Penn State provides on-demand professional development courses for early childhood educators across Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island

Center for Early Learning Professionals provides free professional development training.

South Carolina

SC Child Care Services offers training and educational resources.

South Dakota

SD Department of Social Services offers free online child care courses.

Tennessee

Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance offers free professional development courses.

Texas

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension provides up to 20 hours of free online childcare training for professionals working in Texas, including certificates for completion.

Utah

Care About Childcare Utah offers free training for childcare professionals.

Vermont

Vermont Northern Lights provides free professional development training.

Virginia

Virginia DSS offers free and low-cost online childcare training.

Washington

Washington Early Learning offers training and certification programs.

West Virginia

WV STARS provides free training resources for childcare providers.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Child Care Resource & Referral offers free and reduced-cost training.

Wyoming

Wyoming Early Childhood Partnership offers training programs for early educators.

Gain the skills to succeed by enrolling in an online childcare training course

Enrolling in an online childcare training course is a convenient way to gain the skills you need to excel as a childcare educator. Earning a childcare training certificate proves that you have the skills to ensure the well-being of the children in your care and that your childcare center prides itself on hiring staff that knows how to keep children safe and healthy.

Brightwheel is the complete solution for early education providers, enabling you to streamline your center’s operations and build a stand-out reputation. Brightwheel connects the most critical aspects of running your center—including sign in and out, parent communications, tuition billing, and licensing and compliance—in one easy-to-use tool, along with providing best-in-class customer support and coaching. Brightwheel is trusted by thousands of early education centers and millions of parents. Learn more at mybrightwheel.com