Vermont requires annual professional development, set by the Agency of Human Services, Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division (CDD). Requirements are tiered by role: Program Directors need 20 hours, Teachers and Teacher Associates need 15 hours each, Teacher Assistants and Trainees need 12 hours, Substitutes need 4 hours, and Family Child Care Home providers need 12 hours. brightwheel is listed as a Northern Lights‑approved training organization, and staff completion is tracked automatically within brightwheel.
| Program Director | 20 hours per year |
| Teacher | 15 hours per year |
| Teacher Associate | 15 hours per year |
| Teacher Assistant | 12 hours per year |
| Trainee | 12 hours per year |
| Substitute | 4 hours per year |
| Family Child Care Home provider | 12 hours per year |
| Regulatory authority | Vermont AHS DCF CDD |
| brightwheel approved in Vermont | ✓ Yes — Northern Lights‑approved training organization |
| Training records | ✓ Tracked automatically in brightwheel dashboard |
| Courses available in Vermont | View courses across 8 CDA competency areas |
Program Director, Teacher Assistant/Trainee, Substitute, and FCCH figures are confirmed against CBCCPP Rule 7.4 and the October 2024 rule memo. Teacher and Teacher Associate figures (15 hours each) reflect the most commonly cited numbers in Vermont guidance materials — verify against the full CBCCPP Section 7.4 text with Northern Lights before relying on these two specific figures. All hours must align with each staff member’s Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP). brightwheel is listed as a Northern Lights‑approved training organization; certificates must be manually submitted via Direct Send — there is no auto‑posting to BFIS for any provider.
Browse courses by competency area in Vermont
Each competency area maps to CDA standards and satisfies Vermont’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
STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS) and brightwheel
STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS) is Vermont’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Staff professional development in CDA‑aligned competency areas is a core component of STep Ahead Recognition System (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 STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS), and the automatic tracking dashboard makes it straightforward to demonstrate staff training during program quality evaluations.
STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS) →Frequently asked questions — Vermont
State‑accepted professional development courses in brightwheel
Brightwheel offers expert‑led, IACET‑accredited PD courses accepted in Vermont — 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.