PACES Program
The Professional Advancement for Childhood Educators Stipend (PACES) Program is designed to offer support to qualifying early care and education providers who are interested in pursuing careers in the early care and education profession. For the past eight years the Commission has been supporting opportunities for professional growth by making funds available to early care and education providers working with children 0-5 years of age and that complete a minimum of 9 unit courses from an institution of higher education via the PACES Program application process.
The PACES Program was authorized by the Commission as a result of findings identified from the 2005 Early Care and Education Workforce Study, of which the primary objective of the program is to increase the number of early care and education professionals obtaining a college level degree and/or advancing on the Child Development Permit Matrix.
To further promote professional development, the Commission has recently approved additional support for early care and education providers seeking specialized training opportunities through the PACES PLUS-PLUS Program. This program is designed to provide a stipend to providers that attend specialized trainings approved of by First 5 Imperial's Special Programs Unit. For more information, click on the link below.
The following links are resources related to the PACES Program, including PACES Program Guidelines, the Child Development Permit Matrix, and credentialing resources.
- PACES Program Guidelines
- PACES PLUS-PLUS Program Guidelines
- Child Development Permits with Matrix
- State of CA, Commission of Teacher Credentialing - Child Development Permits
- 2020 Early Care and Education Workforce Study
- Imperial Valley College - Child Development Program
- California Community Colleges
- Child Care Licensing Updates
- Quality Counts California
- California Early Childhood Online Project
