Becoming an early childhood program director in Michigan is a significant career step that requires a specific blend of education, experience, and administrative know-how. The state of Michigan has established clear guidelines to ensure that those leading childcare programs are well-equipped to provide a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment for children. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the daycare director license requirements in Michigan, salary expectations across the state, and how to navigate the process.
In Michigan, program directors for centers that serve infants, toddlers, or preschoolers are officially known as early childhood program directors. To qualify, you must meet specific criteria for education and experience as laid out in the state’s Center Child Care Licensing Rules R 400.8113(7) & (9). These rules ensure a high standard for leadership in early childhood settings.
Understanding these distinct pathways is the first step in planning your career. For those just beginning, [we provide resources to help you start your own childcare program](https://www.wonderschool.com/corp/start) and map out your journey to becoming a director.
According to Rule 400.8113(7), a potential director must meet one of the following combinations of education and experience:
A "child-related field" is defined as elementary education, child counseling, child psychology, family studies, social work, or special education.
In addition to the primary qualifications, all Michigan program directors must meet an administrative requirement under Rule 400.8113(9). This rule mandates that directors have at least 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration, or possess an administrative credential approved by the department. These administrative hours may count toward the 18-semester-hour requirement in early childhood education if applicable.
Approved fields for this requirement include child care administration, education administration, or business administration. The state has approved several credentials that meet this rule, including:
Per a court order, five specific organizations are exempt from this administrative requirement: Bethany Bible Church (Belleville, MI), Dixie Baptist Church (Springfield, MI), Faithway Baptist Church (Ypsilanti, MI), Lewis Avenue Baptist Church (Temperance, MI), and Sturgis Church of the Nazarene (Sturgis, MI).
Meeting the semester-hour requirements involves a careful selection of coursework. The state provides clear guidelines on what type of courses count and how they are credited.
Courses are given full credit if the title specifically mentions "child development" or "early childhood education," or if the course syllabus clearly addresses these topics. Early childhood education generally refers to children up to age 8 or the third grade. Student teaching for kindergarten through third grade also receives full credit.
Partial credit, typically half the total credit hours for the class, may be granted for courses where only a portion of the content is relevant. Examples of courses that may receive partial credit include:
For example, a 4-credit "Children's Literature" course would count as 2 credits toward the 18-semester-hour requirement. Semester hours from CPR and first aid courses do not count.
Similarly, courses for the administrative requirement receive full credit if the title or syllabus clearly indicates a focus on child care administration, education administration, or business administration. Partial credit may be given if only part of the course content is applicable.
All educational credits must be from an accredited college or university. If you attended a non-accredited institution, you must provide written verification from an accredited university that they would accept the credits on a transfer basis. This applies to online and correspondence courses as well.
For transcripts from other countries, you must provide a written evaluation from an agency like World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators that determines the equivalency to American credits. Official transcripts, student-issued copies, and copies of credentials must be submitted for verification; transcripts downloaded from a school's website are not acceptable.
Certain degrees and endorsements streamline the verification process. For instance, a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, a bachelor's with a ZA or ZS endorsement, an associate's degree in early childhood education, or a bachelor's with a minor in child development will be accepted without a course-by-course review.
The experience component of the daycare director license michigan requirement must be verifiable and involve working directly with children. The number of hours required varies by educational pathway, from 480 to 1920 hours.
You must provide documentation to verify your hours. This can include a copy of a previous license, written verification from a former employer, or a letter from a supervisor for volunteer work or student teaching.
Maintaining your status as a program director involves ongoing professional development. The primary continuing education requirement is the administrative component outlined in Rule 400.8113(9), which requires 2 semester hours or 3.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in administration. This can also be met with 30 hours of administrative training from MiRegistry or an approved credential.
To obtain 3.0 CEUs, an individual must complete 30 clock hours of eligible training. Michigan also uses State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs), and 30 SCECHs are needed to meet the requirement. CEUs from the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) are directly transferable.
Directors who qualified with a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential after September 1, 2012, must maintain a valid CDA to remain qualified. The CDA is a nationally recognized credential requiring 120 clock hours of training and 480 hours of experience.
Keeping up with these requirements is part of effectively [operating a childcare business](https://www.wonderschool.com/corp/child-care-management). Continuous learning not only ensures compliance but also enhances the quality of your program.
Compensation for early childhood program directors in Michigan varies based on location, experience, and the size of the center. The average annual salary for Education and Childcare Administrators in Michigan is $52,195, with a median of $50,259. However, these figures shift depending on the region.
Understanding your earning potential is a crucial part of career planning. You can [use our calculator to estimate how much you could make](https://www.wonderschool.com/corp/new-providers-calculator-v3?) by running your own childcare program.
Here is a breakdown of annual salary expectations in major Michigan metropolitan areas:
Salaries also differ in non-metropolitan regions of the state:
[Wonderschool](https://www.wonderschool.com/corp/) is dedicated to supporting childcare providers at every stage of their journey. We understand that navigating the path to becoming a director and running a successful program can be challenging, which is why we offer a comprehensive suite of tools and resources tailored to the needs of providers in Michigan.
If you're thinking about [starting a new childcare program](https://www.wonderschool.com/corp/start), we provide expert guidance on everything from business planning to licensing. Our team helps you understand and meet Michigan's specific requirements, ensuring you get off to a strong and compliant start. We also assist providers in finding and applying for government grants to help with startup costs and ongoing operations.
For existing providers looking to [grow their business](https://www.wonderschool.com/corp/directors), Wonderschool offers powerful child care management software to streamline administrative tasks like enrollment, billing, and parent communication. Furthermore, our [business coaching and classes](https://www.wonderschool.com/corp/business-coaching) provide invaluable professional development, covering topics from curriculum development to financial management. We are committed to helping providers, particularly women and individuals of minority backgrounds, earn a sustainable income and build thriving, high-quality childcare businesses.
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