What Are the Requirements to Be a Daycare Teacher in Vermont?
Working in a licensed Vermont center means meeting the qualification for your classroom title: a teacher is at least 20 with Career Ladder Level 4A or 4B, a qualifying bachelor's or a Vermont educator license; a teacher associate is at least 20 with Level 3 or an equivalent; a teacher assistant is at least 18.
Staff complete 15 training hours a year, and staff counted in ratio hold pediatric first aid and CPR within 3 months of starting.
New staff clear a fingerprint check before working with children.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Department for Children and Families (DCF), Child Development Division (CDD), under the Licensing Regulations for Center Based Child Care and Preschool Programs.
Age 20 or older, with Career Ladder Level 4A or 4B, a bachelor's in a listed field plus 12 months of experience, any bachelor's with 30 early childhood or school-age credits plus 12 months, or a Vermont educator license with an early childhood or elementary endorsement.
Teacher assistant: age 18 or older with a high school diploma or GED plus any one of five listed routes, such as Career Ladder Level 1 or 2 or a current CDA with 12 months of experience; the teacher associate rung above it is 20 or older with Level 3 or an equivalent.
Division-approved orientation on program policies, including child development and health protection, before you are left alone with children; first aid and CPR are due within 3 months for staff counted in ratio.
15 clock hours a year, documented in BFIS and an Individual Professional Development Plan; CPR and first aid do not count toward the 15, and substitutes have needed 4 hours a year since October 1, 2024.
Pediatric first aid and infant and child CPR within 3 months of starting for staff counted in ratio, kept current, with at least one certified staff member on the premises whenever children are present.
A Records Check Authorization and fingerprinting at a Division-designated location before working with children; the Division must process clearances within 45 days of the Vermont Crime Information Center receiving all documentation, and checks completed within the last 5 years may be reused.
Classroom roles in Vermont, by the rule's own titles
- TeacherRole
The rule's lead title: at least 20, and one of Career Ladder Level 4A or 4B, a listed bachelor's plus 12 months of experience, any bachelor's with 30 early childhood or school-age credits plus 12 months, or a Vermont educator license with an early childhood or elementary endorsement.
- Teacher associateRole
At least 20 with a high school diploma or GED and one of Career Ladder Level 3, an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field plus 12 months of experience, a Registered Child Care Apprenticeship certificate, a CCV Child Care Certificate plus 12 months, or 21 early childhood or school-age credits plus 12 months.
- Teacher assistantRole
At least 18 with a high school diploma or GED and one of Career Ladder Level 1 or 2, a current CDA plus 12 months of experience, an approved Human Services Program Certificate plus 12 months, Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals or Vermont Afterschool Essentials plus 12 months, or a 3-credit child development course plus 12 months.
- TraineeRole
May start as young as 15 and must finish Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals or a 3-credit course within the first 12 months.
- Classroom aideRole
The rule's classroom support title; aides must be at least 18.
Who licenses childcare centers in Vermont?
Vermont licenses child care centers through the Department for Children and Families (DCF), Child Development Division (CDD).
Centers operate under the Licensing Regulations for Center Based Child Care and Preschool Programs, effective April 17, 2022 — regulations whose coverage includes preschool programs, so a preschool teacher in a licensed center holds one of the rule's classroom titles: teacher, teacher associate, teacher assistant, trainee or classroom aide.
A CDD memo amended the rules effective October 1, 2024, and a full rewrite was in draft as of late 2025, so confirm current requirements with the Division before you apply or hire.
What qualifications does a lead teacher need in Vermont?
Vermont's lead-teacher title is teacher.
A teacher is at least 20 years old and holds one of the following: Vermont Early Childhood Career Ladder Level 4A or 4B; a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child or human development, elementary or early childhood special education, or child and family services, plus 12 months of experience; any bachelor's degree with 30 credits in early childhood or school-age coursework plus 12 months of experience; or a Vermont educator license with an early childhood or elementary endorsement.
The rule also requires each group of children to be led by someone qualified at least as a teacher associate for at least 75% of the center's operating hours, so not every group leader has to hold the full teacher qualification.
“each group of children is led by a staff member who is at least qualified as a teacher associate for at least 75% of the hours of operation.”
What does an assistant teacher need in Vermont?
Vermont has two assistant-level titles with different qualification routes.
A teacher associate is at least 20 with a high school diploma or GED and one of the following: Career Ladder Level 3; an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field plus 12 months of experience; a Registered Child Care Apprenticeship certificate; a CCV Child Care Certificate plus 12 months; or 21 credits in early childhood or school-age coursework plus 12 months.
A teacher assistant is at least 18 with a high school diploma or GED and one of the following: Career Ladder Level 1 or 2; a current CDA plus 12 months of experience; an approved Human Services Program Certificate plus 12 months; Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals or Vermont Afterschool Essentials plus 12 months; or a 3-credit child development course plus 12 months.
A CDA is an assistant-level qualification in Vermont: with 12 months of experience it qualifies you as a teacher assistant, not as a teacher associate.
Whenever children are present, someone qualified at least as a teacher assistant must be there.
What training do you need before you start?
New staff complete an orientation training session approved by the Division before they are left alone with children.
The orientation covers program policies, including child development and health protection.
Staff who are counted in ratio have 3 months from the first day of work to obtain both pediatric first aid and infant and child CPR certifications.
Because no one may be alone with children until the Division approves the fingerprint-based records check, a new hire's first weeks are shaped by the background check described below.
“during an orientation training session approved by the Division prior to being left alone with children.”
How many training hours do you need each year?
All Vermont center staff complete 15 clock hours of annual professional development.
The hours are recorded in the staff member's Bright Futures Information System (BFIS) Quality and Credential Account and an Individual Professional Development Plan, and training must meet the criteria set by Northern Lights at CCV, the Community College of Vermont.
CPR and first aid certifications do not count toward the 15 hours.
Since October 1, 2024, substitutes need 4 hours of annual training.
CPR, first aid and health checks
Staff who are counted in ratio must obtain training in pediatric first aid and in infant and child CPR within 3 months of beginning work in the center and remain currently certified.
At least one staff member with current certification must be on the premises whenever children are present.
The Division has also posted an administrative memo on first aid and CPR rule changes; the memo is an image PDF we could not read, so confirm current certification details with the Division.
On other health checks, such as a physical examination or tuberculosis test, our research did not confirm a Vermont requirement for center staff; ask the Child Development Division or the hiring center what documentation they require.
“shall obtain training in pediatric first aid and in infant and child CPR within three (3) months of beginning work in the CBCCPP and remain currently certified.”
How does the background check work in Vermont?
New Vermont center staff submit a Records Check Authorization and are fingerprinted at a location designated by the Division after receiving the Fingerprinting Authorization Certificate, and this happens before working with children.
No one may be left alone with children until the Division approves the fingerprint-based check.
The Division must process clearances within 45 days of the Vermont Crime Information Center receiving all documentation, and it may reuse a background check completed within the last 5 years.
Ask the director what to bring to your fingerprinting appointment.
“shall submit to fingerprinting at a location designated by the Division after having received the Fingerprinting Authorization Certificate by the Division.”
Can teenagers work in a Vermont daycare?
The rule builds in entry roles for younger workers.
A trainee may be as young as 15 and must complete Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals or a 3-credit course within the first 12 months.
Classroom aides must be at least 18.
The teacher assistant title also starts at 18 with a high school diploma or GED, so a 16- or 17-year-old's way into a Vermont center is the trainee role rather than the classroom aide or assistant titles.
Where does Vermont track childcare training?
Vermont tracks professional development in the Bright Futures Information System (BFIS) Quality and Credential Account, and each staff member's hours are also documented in an Individual Professional Development Plan.
Training must meet the criteria set by Northern Lights at CCV, the Community College of Vermont.
Have Vermont's childcare rules changed recently?
Yes.
A CDD memo amended the center rules effective October 1, 2024, to meet federal CCDF requirements, and, since that date, substitutes have needed 4 hours of annual training.
A full rewrite of the center rules was in draft as of late 2025, and the Division's proposed-rules page listed no final proposed rules when we checked.
Because a rewritten rule could change the qualification levels, training hours or titles on this page, confirm current requirements with the Child Development Division before you apply or hire.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Vermont licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state daycare teacher requirements series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), Child Development Division (CDD) publishes. For the rest of the picture in Vermont, see daycare director requirements in Vermont, early childhood education programs and scholarships in Vermont, and childcare teacher pay in Vermont.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a CDA to work in a Vermont daycare?
No. In a licensed Vermont center, a current CDA plus 12 months of experience is one of five routes to the teacher assistant title; the others are Career Ladder Level 1 or 2, an approved Human Services Program Certificate, Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals or Vermont Afterschool Essentials, or a 3-credit child development course, each plus 12 months except the Career Ladder route.
A CDA does not qualify you as a teacher associate or teacher.
How old do you have to be to work at a daycare in Vermont?
In a licensed Vermont center, it depends on the role.
Trainees may be as young as 15, and they must finish Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals or a 3-credit course within their first 12 months.
Classroom aides must be at least 18, as must teacher assistants, who also need a high school diploma or GED and a listed qualification.
Teachers and teacher associates are at least 20.
How many training hours does a Vermont daycare teacher need?
Vermont center staff complete 15 clock hours of professional development each year, documented in their BFIS Quality and Credential Account and an Individual Professional Development Plan.
CPR and first aid certifications do not count toward those hours.
Since October 1, 2024, substitutes need 4 hours of annual training.
Training must meet the criteria set by Northern Lights at CCV.
Does Vermont require CPR before you start work in a center?
No. The rule sets the deadline at 3 months from your first day: staff who are counted in ratio must obtain pediatric first aid and infant and child CPR training within 3 months of beginning work and remain currently certified.
At least one staff member with current certification must be on the premises whenever children are present.
New staff also complete Division-approved orientation before being left alone with children.
The Division has posted a memo on first aid and CPR rule changes, so confirm current certification details with it.
What is the Vermont Early Childhood Career Ladder?
It is the qualification scale Vermont's licensing rules use for classroom roles.
Level 1 or 2 satisfies the qualification piece of the teacher assistant title, Level 3 satisfies the teacher associate title, and Level 4A or 4B satisfies the teacher title.
Each title also sets its own minimum age, and several qualification routes add 12 months of experience; the rules list college-course alternatives that can stand in for a level.
More Vermont Resources
Sources
- Vermont DCF/CDD — Licensing Regulations for Center Based Child Care and Preschool Programs (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Vermont CDD Memorandum — CBCCPP Rule Changes (retrieved 2026-10-05)
Sourced from the documents listed above. Verified October 2026. This is career and employer information, not licensing or legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), Child Development Division (CDD).