Skip to main content

Important Notice about University of Nevada Campus Extension Courses

Beginning July 1, 2025, The University of Nevada, Reno Extension office has implemented modest fees for select initial training courses previously available at no charge. Please email Cathy Pesklakai at UNR Extension (cpeshlakai@unr.edu) with any questions about this change and/or to learn more about their courses.

More Information
Print this page

Professional Development Acceptance Guidelines

Automatically Accepted Organizations, Courses and Training for Early Care and Education (ECE) Educators in Nevada

Reviewed/Updated July 2025

Early Childhood educators in Nevada engage in professional development ranging from face-to-face, in-person, and virtual training, workshops, conferences, credit-bearing college courses, online internet classes, CEU-credit bearing in-service classes required for recertification/licensure for other professions (e.g., education, social work, nursing) and a variety of other e-learning formats such as webinars, modules and online seminars. While most training is completed in the state of Nevada, a growing number of educators are completing their professional development out-of-state or online. Regardless of the format, all training that is non-college credit bearing must be approved by The Nevada Registry to be applied toward the annual training requirements of Child Care Licensing. Some training is subject to The Nevada Registry’s standard training approval process while other training is not*. This page outlines the acceptance guidelines for three separate categories of professional development that are NOT subject to The Nevada Registry’s standard approval process but are accepted by Child Care Licensing and The Nevada Registry: 1) Out-of-State Training; 2) Credit-Bearing College Courses; and 3) Other Miscellaneous Professional Development and Training.

What this means is when you participate in any of the training and professional development described below, it will be recognized and accepted by Child Care Licensing and The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code. In these instances, you do not need to do anything additional to obtain approval/receive credit (i.e., no a form to complete, etc.). Simply attend, obtain a certificate of completion documenting your attendance and present it to Child Care Licensing upon request and to The Nevada Registry with your next annual membership renewal. 

Please keep in mind most training you take to meet the annual training hour requirements of Child Care Licensing is subject to The Nevada Registry’s standard training approval process. Any professional development not outlined on this page must be assigned a Registry-issued approval code to receive child care training hours.

Visit The Nevada Registry’s Training Calendar for a complete list of Registry-approved training available to meet your professional development needs.

Category 1: Out-of-State Training

Community-based Early Childhood Education (ECE) training (e.g., not for college credit) completed in Nevada must be approved by The Nevada Registry to be applied toward the annual training requirements of Child Care Licensing. Training completed outside the state of Nevada may also be applied toward annual training requirements when taken from recognized organizations. The list of Recognized Out-of-State Early Childhood Organizations that follows was developed using the National Workforce Registry’s Alliance list of recognized training organizations, the Council for Professional Recognition’s list of Early Childhood Organizations and Early Childhood Membership Associations and information gathered through The Nevada Registry’s application review process pertaining to the types of training commonly completed out of state.

Out-of-state training taken from any of the organizations listed below will be automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing (to meet annual training requirements) and The Nevada Registry (for the purposes of Career Ladder placement) without a Registry-issued approval code. The certificate issued by the organization will serve as verification of completion when it contains the name of the individual, the name of the organization, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours completed/CEUs* earned**.

Criteria for Inclusion

To be included in the list of Recognized Out-of-State Early Childhood Organizations, several criteria must be met:

  1. The organization is specific to Early Care and Education, ages zero to eight;
  2. The organization supports the professional development of Early Childhood educators on a national/international basis while promoting improvements in the care and education of young children, ages zero to eight;
  3. The organization is located outside the state of Nevada;
  4. The organization offers a variety of in-person/virtual professional development opportunities (e.g., national conference, institutes); and
  5. The organization does not exclusively provide online training courses. Online distance training providers are not included on this list as they are required to adhere to The Nevada Registry’s standard training approval process. Visit the Training Calendar for a complete list of approved online training.
  6. Otherwise deemed appropriate by The Nevada Registry.

Recognized Out-of-State Early Childhood Organizations

NOTE: The Waldorf and Montessori organizations included in this list are the most recognized. Additional out-of-state Waldorf and Montessori training offered by organizations other than the ones listed here may be automatically accepted/applied toward annual training hour requirements of Child Care Licensing without a Registry approval code when content is specific to children 0-8 years of age. Examples of other organizations include, but are not limited to, the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training and Gradalis Teacher Education.

NOTES REGARDING OUT-OF-STATE TRAINING:

  • Several out-of-state faith-based organizations hold annual conferences, seminars and training. Individual faith-based organizations are not included in this list to avoid omitting one to the inclusion of another. However, this type of professional development is recognized and may be automatically accepted/applied toward annual training hour requirements of Child Care Licensing without a Registry approval code or letter when content is specific to children zero to eight years of age. The certificate issued by the organization offering the training will serve as verification of completion when it contains the name of the individual, the name of the organization, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours completed. Examples of faith-based organizations include the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), Association for Christian Schools International (ACSI), Lutheran Education Association, International Conference of Shluchim and Shluchos, etc.
  • Non-college-credit-bearing, out-of-state training/courses offered by regionally accredited institutions of higher education are automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code when content is specific to children zero to eight years of age. The certificate (or transcript) issued by the institution offering the training will serve as verification of completion if it contains the name of the individual, the name of the institution, the title of the training/course, the date of the training/course and the number of hours completed/CEUs* earned**.
  • Out-of-state ECE training and professional development completed through a program accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) is recognized and may be automatically accepted/applied toward annual training hour requirements of Child Care Licensing without a Registry approval code when content is specific to children zero to eight years of age. The certificate issued by the program offering the training will serve as verification of completion if it contains the name of the individual, the name of the ACCET-accredited program offering the training, the ACCET logo, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours completed.
  • Training completed in another state approved by that state’s Registry is automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry- issued approval code when content is specific to children 0-8 years of age. The certificate or registry training transcript will serve as verification of completion when it contains the name of the individual name, the name of the trainer, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours completed. The certificate must also clearly indicate out-of-state Registry approval. Training approved by another state’s Registry will count toward Career Ladder placement and annual training requirements but will not meet the initial requirements of Child Care Licensing in Nevada for CCDBG Health & Safety training, Child Abuse & Neglect, Signs and Symptoms of Illness, or Lifelong Wellness (these courses must be taken in Nevada to incorporate Nevada-specific regulations and/or meet specific training approval criteria).
  • E-learning formats of training (webinars, seminars, etc.) are increasingly being offered as an extension of the training provided by some recognized out-of-state Early Childhood organizations on this list. This training will be automatically accepted by The Nevada Registry and Child Care Licensing when the certificate issued contains the name of the individual, the name of the organization, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours completed/CEUs* earned**.
  • Blank certificates are often issued by training organizations for national conferences and virtual training (e.g., the certificate is included in the program; not personalized; does not contain the number of hours). Certificates without specific hours indicated will be granted a maximum of six hours per day. Certificates without the individual’s name listed will not be recognized.

Category 2: Credit-Bearing College Courses

Credit-bearing Early Childhood Education (ECE) college courses can be applied toward the annual training requirements of Child Care Licensing (each semester credit equals 15 hours of training). Individuals must be currently enrolled in the course and/or must have completed the course within the current licensure year to be considered, courses must be taken at regionally accredited colleges and universities and a grade of “C” or better must be earned. A copy of a transcript presented to Licensing Surveyors can serve as verification of course enrollment/completion.

Category 3: Other Miscellaneous Professional Development and Training

  • Infant/Child CPR and/or First Aid Training provided by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or HSI is automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code, but only when an official certification card bearing the logo of one of the official organizations listed (not the training provider’s company logo). Two hours are generally granted for First Aid and two hours are generally granted for CPR (but no more than three for CPR) by Child Care Licensing. Note: Infant/Child CPR training must be taken and contain an in-person skill demonstration component. For this reason, a CPR course offered 100% online will not be accepted, even when taken from one of the recognized organizations.
  • Training required for recertification/licensure for medical, health care clinical staff (e.g., nurses, social workers) is automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code. The certificate issued by the organization offering the training will serve as verification of completion if it contains the name of the individual, the name of the organization, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours earned.
  • In-service training/professional development required for teacher re-certification selected from the State of Nevada Department of Education’s list of Approved Continuing Education Providers for Licensure Renewal that can be applied toward a teaching license according to the regulations of the Nevada State Board of Education is automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code  when content is specific to children zero to eight years of age. The certificate issued by the organization offering the training will serve as verification of completion if it contains the name of the individual, the name of the organization, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours earned.
    • NOTE: edWeb.net is included on the NDE’s list of approved online providers. Because many of the webinars are specific to Early Childhood, and because many childcare educators obtain their professional development via this resource, it is highlighted here. The certificate of completion issued by edWeb will serve as verification of completion if it contains the name of the individual, the name of the organization, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of hours/CEUs earned. To be automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry, the content must be specific to children zero to eight years of age.
  • Certified Food Protection Managers (CFPM) certification obtained through one of the following accredited certification organizations: Learn2Serve® Food Protection Manager Certification Program, National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, National Restaurant Association (ServSafe®) or Prometric Inc. is automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code. The certificate issued by the certifying body will serve as verification of completion if it contains the name of the individual, the name of the organization and the date of the training. Because these certificates generally do not list a specific number of hours, a total of six hours will be granted regardless of the certifying body.
  • Nellis/Creech AFB (Air Force Base) Family Child Care New Provider Orientation, FCC Provider Modules and annual AF-required training is automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code or letter. The 1098 Special Task Certification and Recurring tracking form or Track Certificate issued by the Air Force will serve as verification of completion of training if they contain the name of the individual, the dates of the training and the number of hours earned. Air Force training will be accepted only for those Family Child Care programs located on Nellis/Creech AFB and documented affiliated providers participating in the program. Military-sponsored training completed outside of the training mentioned here is not included in this agreement.
  • Out of State (in-person or virtual) professional development that is not offered by one of the recognized out-of-state Early Childhood organizations listed previously will be automatically accepted by Child Care Licensing/The Nevada Registry without a Registry-issued approval code when content is specific to children zero to eight years of age. The certificate received from the hosting organization will serve as verification of completion if the certificate lists the name of the individual, the name of the organization, the title of the training, the date of the training and the number of CEUs* earned**. Credit will not be granted if CEUs are not issued (clock hours are not automatically accepted for out-of-state training not offered by a recognized out-of-state Early Childhood organization). Note: Virtual training offered by Nevada Registry approved and registered trainers must be approved through the standard training approval process and receive a Registry-issued approval code.

GENERAL NOTES REGARDING TRAINING APPROVAL:

  • The acceptance policies outlined here do not supersede the existing training approval process for in-state professional development and training. Most training is subject to The Nevada Registry’s training approval process and most of the training ECE educators in Nevada complete will contain a Registry approval code.
  • All training occurring in the state of Nevada must be approved by The Nevada Registry, unless that training falls under Category 2 or Category 3 of this document.
  • All training must contain a minimum of one hour of content/instruction to be considered for acceptance under these guidelines.
  • Training that is not Registry-approved through the standard training approval process and does not fit within one of the three categories outlined in this document must be CEU-bearing for the following reasons: 1) CEUs provide a standardized unit of measure; 2) Training eligible for CEUs is vetted through another level of approval from a third-party increasing the likeliness the training meets higher quality standards; 3) CEUs may be recognized by institutions of higher education whereas child care training hours typically are not; 4) CEUs are portable meaning they may be recognized in other states; and 5) CEUs carry more “weight” than a standard child care training hour (ratio is generally 10:1 meaning that 10 contact/clock hours equals 1 CEU).
  • Training not Registry-approved through the standard training approval process, does not fit within one of the three categories outlined in this document or that is not CEU-credit bearing will not be approved for childcare training hours. This training is above and beyond what is required and becomes professional development for the sake of professional development. An expansion of one’s knowledge is good for a person’s own professional growth and even better when it has the potential of improving the practice in a classroom to the benefit of the children in that individual’s care. Receiving training hours should not be what makes it important; the content is what should make it meaningful.
*CEU stands for Continuing Education Unit. According to the International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET), a CEU is a measurement of non-credit continuing education activities; generally equal to 10 hours of participation in an accredited program designed for professionals with certificates or licenses to practice various professions. The CEU was designed to provide a standard unit of measurement for continuing education and training, quantify continuing education and training activities, and accommodate for the diversity of providers, activities, and purposes in adult education.
**Training certificates with pending CEUs will not be accepted. To be recognized, CEUs must be formally issued and reflected on training certificates.

This page may undergo periodic review and revision.