CA Health & Safety Code Section 1597.057

Any requirement established by the department, pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 1596.70) of Chapter 3.4, that coursework in early childhood education or child development, or both, be completed in order to fully qualify as a day care center teacher, may be satisfied with a valid child development associate credential issued by the Child Development Associate National Credentialing Program for a center-based setting with a preschool age level or infant/toddler age level endorsement. The preschool age level endorsement shall qualify the holder of the credential as a day care center teacher for ages three to five, inclusive, and the infant/toddler age level endorsement shall qualify the holder of the credential as a day care center teacher for up to, and including, age two. The child development associate credential used to qualify individuals as day care center teachers shall involve standards that are no less stringent than those in effect on January 1, 1988.