CDA Council partnership banner

CDA Council Partnership & Gold Standard | Care Courses

Care Courses has a long relationship with the Council for Professional Recognition (the “CDA Council”). This page explains our history, what the Council’s recognitions mean, and how that relates to your CDA training today.

At a Glance

  • 2017: Care Courses earned the CDA Council’s Gold Standard recognition for program quality, support, and flexible training formats.
  • 2022: We became an official Council partner.
  • Today: Care Courses continues to provide CDA-accepted training nationwide.

What Gold Standard & Partnership Mean

The Council’s Gold Standard acknowledged programs that met quality criteria such as clear learning outcomes, learner support, and reliable certificates. Partnership signals ongoing collaboration to support CDA candidates. Neither designation replaces state approval; rather, they confirm high program quality aligned to the CDA process.

What It Means for You

  • CDA Training: You can complete the full 120 hours with Care Courses using online or CourseBook formats.
  • Support: Our trainers provide unlimited support with coursework, portfolio questions, and navigating the process.
  • Certificates: Instant, printable certificates after each course; a transcript when all training is complete.

Ready to begin or renew? Start here: CDA training (120 hours) · CDA renewal (45 hours)

Frequently Asked Questions

Click to view:

Yes. Organizations that earned partnership remain recognized. Care Courses continues to provide CDA-accepted training nationwide.

Gold Standard recognized programs that met the Council’s criteria for high-quality CDA preparation, learner support, and reliable documentation. It’s a quality signal—separate from state licensing or approval lists.

The Council accepts training from a wide range of high-quality providers. Your Care Courses certificates and transcript document your 120 hours by CDA Subject Areas. For state-specific acceptance, see our state information pages.

Choose your setting and enroll in our self-paced online or CourseBook options. You’ll receive instant certificates for each course and a transcript when your set is complete: CDA training (120 hours).

Renewal is generally every three years and requires 45 hours of training and documentation. Explore our renewal options here: CDA renewal.