North Carolina requires annual ongoing training, set by the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). The requirement is tiered by each staff member’s own education credential — 5 hours for a 4‑year ECE degree, 8 hours for a 2‑year degree or NC Early Childhood Administration Credential, 10 hours for a certificate/diploma or NC Early Childhood Credential, 15 hours for 10+ years of documented experience, or 20 hours for staff who meet none of those criteria (the most common bracket). Family child care operators require 16 hours. brightwheel Professional Development courses are accepted toward these requirements, and staff completion is tracked automatically within brightwheel.
| 4‑year ECE degree | 5 hours per year |
| 2‑year ECE degree or NC Admin. Credential | 8 hours per year |
| ECE certificate/diploma or NCECC | 10 hours per year |
| 10+ years documented ECE experience | 15 hours per year |
| None of the above (most common bracket) | 20 hours per year |
| Family child care home operator | 16 hours per year |
| Regulatory authority | North Carolina DHHS DCDEE |
| brightwheel approved in North Carolina | ✓ Yes — accepted for North Carolina CE requirements |
| Training records | ✓ Tracked automatically in brightwheel dashboard |
| Courses available in North Carolina | View courses across 8 CDA competency areas |
North Carolina’s requirement isn’t teacher/director‑based — it’s tiered by each staff member’s own education credential, from 5 hours (4‑year degree) to 20 hours (no college credential; the most common bracket for entry‑level staff). Part‑time staff (<40 hrs/wk) may prorate. DCDEE WORKS does not accept in‑service training records from any external provider — brightwheel certificates are retained in staff files, not auto‑posted.
Browse courses by competency area in North Carolina
Each competency area maps to CDA standards and satisfies North Carolina’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
Pathways to the Stars and brightwheel
Pathways to the Stars is North Carolina’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Staff professional development in CDA‑aligned competency areas is a core component of Pathways to the Stars quality ratings — programs that demonstrate ongoing staff training earn higher ratings. brightwheel’s IACET‑accredited courses align with the professional development requirements recognized by Pathways to the Stars, and the automatic tracking dashboard makes it straightforward to demonstrate staff training during program quality evaluations.
Pathways to the Stars →Frequently asked questions — North Carolina
State‑accepted professional development courses in brightwheel
Brightwheel offers expert‑led, IACET‑accredited PD courses accepted in North Carolina — 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.