--- title: "Child Development Training Requirements for ECE in Michigan" id: "21310" type: "page" slug: "child-development" published_at: "2026-05-22T05:42:04+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-09T17:41:24+00:00" url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/child-development/" markdown_url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/child-development.md" excerpt: "Michigan Child Development requirement Michigan requires licensed childcare staff to complete 16 hours per year of continuing education as a condition of state licensing. Child Development training counts toward these requirements — topics such as child growth and development, developmental..." --- [Brightwheel](https://mybrightwheel.com/) › [ECE Professional Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/) › [Michigan](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/) › [Child Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/child-development/) › Child Development Training Requirements for ECE in Michigan # Child Development Training Requirements for ECE in Michigan ## Find out how Michigan’s CE requirements apply to Child Development training — and how brightwheel Professional Development courses count toward your compliance. Michigan Child Development requirement Michigan requires licensed childcare staff to complete 16 hours per year of continuing education as a condition of state licensing. Child Development training counts toward these requirements — topics such as child growth and development, developmental milestones, and brain science are recognized qualifying categories under the Michigan MiLEAP CCLB continuing education requirements. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Michigan and offers IACET‑accredited Child Development courses that staff can complete on demand, with all completions tracked automatically in brightwheel. brightwheel courses auto‑post completed hours directly to the Michigan MiRegistry. Michigan — Child Development training at a glance | Annual CE hours (teachers) | 16 hours per training year | | --- | --- | | Training period | Annual | | Child Development maps to | child growth and development, developmental milestones, and brain science | | Regulatory authority | Michigan MiLEAP CCLB | | Notes | Updated rules effective May 7, 2025 | | brightwheel approved in Michigan | ✓ Yes — accepted for Michigan CE requirements | | Auto‑posts to Michigan MiRegistry | ✓ Yes — completed course hours post automatically to staff registry accounts | | Child Development courses in Michigan | View brightwheel courses | ## About Child Development (CDA VIII) Child Development — CDA Competency Area VIII — is the cross‑cutting knowledge base that connects all eight CDA competency areas. It covers principles of development across cognitive, social‑emotional, language, and physical domains, with particular depth on the birth‑to‑five window when brain growth is most rapid and most responsive to quality caregiving. Understanding how children develop is the foundational skill of early childhood practice. Educators who know developmental milestones, understand how the brain builds neural pathways in early childhood, and recognize the lasting impact of early experiences are better equipped to make every caregiving interaction count. ## Michigan Child Development training requirements Michigan childcare staff must complete 16 hours of annual continuing education as a condition of maintaining a license from the Michigan MiLEAP CCLB. Child Development training counts toward these hours — child growth and development, developmental milestones, and brain science are recognized qualifying CE topics. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Michigan and offers IACET‑accredited courses aligned with the Child Development competency area. Staff complete brightwheel’s Child Development 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 Michigan licensing audits. ## What Child Development training covers brightwheel’s Child Development courses cover the knowledge and skills early childhood educators need to support children in this competency area. Topics include: Developmental milestones from birth through age 5 Brain development science and early learning windows Attachment theory and responsive caregiving practices Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma‑informed practice Supporting children with developmental delays and disabilities Developmental screening tools and early intervention pathways Play‑based learning and developmentally appropriate practice Inclusive classroom practices for diverse learners ## Great Start to Quality and Child Development Great Start to Quality ✓ Child Development training supports Great Start to Quality quality criteria Great Start to Quality is Michigan’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Staff professional development in CDA‑aligned competency areas is a core component of Great Start to Quality quality ratings — programs that demonstrate ongoing staff training earn higher ratings. brightwheel’s IACET‑accredited courses align with the professional development requirements recognized by Great Start to Quality, and the automatic tracking dashboard makes it straightforward to demonstrate staff training during program quality evaluations. [Great Start to Quality →](https://www.childcareaware.org/resources/state-by-state-resource-map/) ## How brightwheel connects to the Michigan MiRegistry ✓ Brightwheel automatically posts completed Child Development course hours to the Michigan MiRegistry for eligible staff. When a staff member completes a course, the hours are recorded in their brightwheel profile and transmitted to the Michigan MiRegistry automatically — no manual data entry required. [Michigan MiRegistry →](https://miregistry.org/) ## Frequently asked questions Is brightwheel Child Development training accepted in Michigan? Yes. Brightwheel Professional Development is accepted for continuing education requirements in Michigan. Courses are IACET‑accredited and cover Child Development competencies recognized by the Michigan MiLEAP CCLB. How many CE hours does Michigan require for childcare staff? Michigan requires all licensed childcare staff to complete 16 hours of annual continuing education. Does brightwheel auto‑post Child Development course hours to the Michigan registry? Yes. Brightwheel courses auto‑post completed hours directly to the Michigan MiRegistry. Staff add their registry ID once in their brightwheel Professional Development profile — every course completed after that is recorded automatically. How do I get a certificate for a brightwheel Child Development course? Each brightwheel course includes a final assessment. Staff who score 80% or higher receive a certificate of completion that can be used for Michigan licensing documentation and QRIS verification. Certificates are available to download from your brightwheel Professional Development profile at any time. Does completing brightwheel’s Child Development courses count toward a CDA credential? Brightwheel courses are aligned with CDA VIII — Child Development — of the CDA competency framework. However, earning a CDA credential requires additional components beyond course completion, including a Professional Portfolio, a formal observation, and an exam administered by the Council for Professional Recognition. Brightwheel courses provide the continuing education component of CDA preparation but are not a standalone pathway to CDA certification. ## Other competency areas available in Michigan [CDA I · MichiganSafe and Healthy Environment](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/safe-healthy-environment/) [CDA II · MichiganPhysical and Intellectual Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/physical-intellectual-development/) [CDA III · MichiganSocial and Emotional Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/social-emotional-development/) [CDA IV · MichiganFamilies](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/families/) [CDA V · MichiganProgram Management](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/program-management/) [CDA VI · MichiganProfessionalism](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/professionalism/) [CDA VII · MichiganObservation and Documentation](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/observation-documentation/) [All areas · MichiganView all Michigan requirements →](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/michigan/) ## Meet Michigan Child Development training requirements with brightwheel Brightwheel offers IACET‑accredited Child Development courses accepted in Michigan — with automatic tracking and Michigan MiRegistry auto‑posting built in. [View full course roster](https://info.mybrightwheel.com/professional-development-courses?state=michigan&course=child-development) [https://iacet.org/ap/140328/](https://iacet.org/ap/140328/) **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.