West Virginia requires licensed childcare staff to complete 15 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 West Virginia DHS Bureau for Children and Families continuing education requirements. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in West Virginia and offers IACET‑accredited Child Development courses that staff can complete on demand, with all completions tracked automatically in brightwheel.
| Annual CE hours (teachers) | 15 hours per training year |
| Training period | Annual |
| Child Development maps to | child growth and development, developmental milestones, and brain science |
| Regulatory authority | West Virginia DHS Bureau for Children and Families |
| brightwheel approved in West Virginia | ✓ Yes — accepted for West Virginia CE requirements |
| Training records | ✓ Tracked automatically in brightwheel dashboard |
| Child Development courses in West Virginia | 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.
West Virginia Child Development training requirements
West Virginia childcare staff must complete 15 hours of annual continuing education as a condition of maintaining a license from the West Virginia DHS Bureau for Children and Families. 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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:
WV Tiered Reimbursement System and Child Development
West Virginia does not have an active QRIS. In its place, the state operates a Tiered Reimbursement System — a 3‑tier quality incentive administered by the WV Department of Human Resources Bureau for Children and Families. Tier I represents baseline licensing; Tier II requires 18 professional development hours per year per staff member, satisfactory Environment Rating Scale scores, and documented staff qualifications; Tier III requires NAEYC accreditation. WV STARS tracks and verifies training hours — brightwheel Professional Development hours can count toward Tier II annual training requirements when logged through WV STARS.
WV Tiered Reimbursement System →How brightwheel connects to the West Virginia training dashboard
Frequently asked questions
Other competency areas available in West Virginia
Meet West Virginia Child Development training requirements with brightwheel
Brightwheel offers IACET‑accredited Child Development courses accepted in West Virginia — 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.