Embarking on a career in early childhood education (ECE) is an exciting journey! No matter if you’re just starting or looking to advance your career, understanding the various education programs in your area and permit pathways is key.
Where the Learning Begins: ECE Programs in Riverside & San Bernardino County
Get ready to explore your local options! Whether you’re dreaming of your first classroom or looking to level up your early childhood education journey, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties have you covered. These counties are home to a variety of community colleges and universities that offer dynamic Child Development and Early Childhood Education programs to help you grow your skills and reach your goals.
Community Colleges – Associate’s degree, Associate of Arts or Associate of Science
- Barstow Community College – Barstow
- Chaffey Community College – Rancho Cucamonga
- College of the Desert Community College – Palm Desert
- Copper Mountain Community College – Joshua Tree
- Crafton Hills Community College – Yucaipa
- San Antonio Community College (Mt. SAC) – Walnut
- San Jacinto Community College – San Jacinto
- Norco Community College – Norco
- Riverside City Community College – Riverside
- San Bernardino Valley Community College – San Bernardino
- Victor Valley Community College – Victorville
University – Bachelors BA/BS or Masters MA/MS Degree
- CSUSB – San Bernardino or Palm Desert Campus
- The Department of Child Development at CSUSB is currently in the process of changing their name. Starting Fall 2025, the department will be known as The Department of Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies (CAFS) with an Early Childhood degree Concentration
- Cal Poly Pomona – Pomona
- UCR – Riverside
Understanding the Child Development Permit: A Guide to Your ECE Career Path
The California Child Development Permit serves as a structured roadmap for careers in early childhood education, with levels ranging from assistant to program director. Each level outlines specific education and experience requirements, helping you plan your academic and professional journey with clarity.
The good news is that coursework from local colleges directly supports progress toward these permits—making it easier to align your studies with your career goals.
To support your planning, we’ve created a series of clear, easy-to-follow graphics that illustrate how various degrees connect to specific permit levels and professional titles. These tools are designed to help you confidently navigate your next steps in the field of early childhood education.
ECE Education Requirements
The more you learn, the further you go. Your level of education—especially the number of Child Development or ECE courses you complete—determines which permit you qualify for. The more coursework you complete, the higher you climb on the permit ladder. Think of it as leveling up your superpowers in the world of early childhood education!
The Child Development Matrix, also available in Spanish and Chinese, breaks down the the available permits, from assistant to program director, education and experience requirements, alternative requirements, and renewal steps. The education and experience requirements include course credits and hours spent in the corresponding environments. Click the link to explore the details.
Common ECE Questions:
1. Which CD permit can I obtain with a degree in child development/ECE?
2. I recently started taking child development/ECE courses. Can I still receive a CD permit?
3. What qualifies as experience?
In addition to meeting educational requirements, experience working with children is also necessary for obtaining certain permits. Be sure to look at the Child Development Matrix to determine how much experience is needed for each permit level.
- Working at a licensed child care center or preschool.
- Supervised field experience may be classified as a lab, practicum, or student teaching (kindergarten level or below only). The criteria for supervised field experience is supervision by staff from a regionally accredited college or university, observation of the student interacting with children and earning 3 semester units of course work on an official transcript. If you’d like to explore more, the California Commission on Teacher Credential FAQ offers a deep dive on every certificate question.
Getting Started: Applying for your CD Permit
Once you meet the requirements for the Child Development Permit, it will be time to apply. When applying for the Child Development Teaching Permit, you will need to collect a few documents, outlined below, before submitting your application.
Applications can be submitted on paper and mailed in or submitted online. Review the helpful links to assist in the application process starting with the CTC CD Permit Website.
- Submitting Permit Application on Paper
- Step by Step Instructions
- Paper Application – as of 2023, paper application must be typed and printed out
- Livescan Form – fingerprint clearance
- Mail the complete application packet including the processing fee and any required supporting materials to: May Lee State Office Complex, Commission on Teacher Credentialing Certification Division, 651 Bannon Street, Suite 601, Sacramento, CA 95811
- Submitting Permit Application Online
- CD Permit Stipend
- The CDTC offers a permit stipend program that may help cover the application and livescan/fingerprint fees for those eligible.
ECE Higher Education Roadmaps
Do you know what permit you want to qualify for? Higher Education Roadmaps are guides designed to help you navigate and achieve goals related to your college or university experience. Check out the Higher Education Roadmaps below to see which Child Development and Early Childhood Education courses you’ll need for each permit level. Within each Roadmap, there are also links to various local community colleges and universities in the Riverside and San Bernardino County offering CD & ECE courses.
- ECE Associate Teacher Permit Roadmap
- ECE Preschool Teacher Permit Roadmap
- ECE Site Supervisor Permit Roadmap
- ECE Program Director Permit Roadmap
- ECE Family Child Care Certificate Roadmap
Start Strong on Your ECE Journey
Choosing to pursue a career in Early Childhood Education is a powerful first step toward making a lasting impact on young children and your community. By exploring local programs and understanding the Child Development Permit process, you’re already on your way to building a meaningful and rewarding career.
Keep this momentum going—this is just the beginning! Our upcoming blogs will dive deeper into what to expect in college, how to choose the best program for you, ways to pay for school, and real stories from educators who’ve been where you are now.
This blog is the first in a 5-part series designed to support and guide early childhood educators on their college journey. From choosing the right program to managing finances and hearing real stories from the field, each post will help you take the next step with confidence. Be on the lookout for the upcoming blogs:
- Blog 2: Classroom Compass – What to expect in college classes and how to apply
- Blog 3: Find Your Fit – Discovering the right college match for your goals
- Blog 4: Funding Your Future – Tips and tools to pay for college
- Blog 5: Real Talk – Hear from fellow educators on balancing work, life, and learning
Stay tuned—and let’s keep charting your journey together!
This content was guided by Dr. Amy van Schagen & Amanda Beld MA, Cal State University San Bernardino, Department of Child Development, Institute for Child Development and Family Relations