"CDAs have knowledge of how to put the CDA Competency Standards into practice and an understanding of why those standards help children move with success from one developmental stage to another. Put simply, CDAs know how to nurture the emotional, physical, intellectual, and social development of children. Earning the CDA Credential has many advantages, including exposure to the larger community of early childhood educators. More than 800,000 CDA credentials have been issued to date, with approximately 40,000 initial and renewal CDAs annually." - Council of Professional Recognition