The Gateways Illinois Director Credential (IDC) is for professional administrators of ECE and school-age programs. An Administrator is a Director/Assistant Director of a center-based program, similar to the principal of an elementary school, and responsible for planning & supervising child development programs and overseeing staff. Duties include hiring and firing of staff, budgeting, and other financial duties. The Director is in charge of the day-to-day operations of running the facility.
It requires specific levels of training, education, experience teaching in an ECE or school-age program, and experience as a director or assistant director in an ECE or school-age program. The Illinois Director Credential requires the completion of an Associate’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and at least 1,200 hours of work experience as a Director or Assistant Director (see definition above).
For additional information regarding the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) Director Qualifications, pdf click here (1.47 MB) .
To start a Gateways Credential application, there are 3 steps:
- Log into your Gateways Registry here - registry.ilgateways.com/login. A paper application is also available, click here.
- Select Gateways Credentials in the "Apply" section. Click the "Apply Now" button to create a new application.
- Please request all official transcripts (if not on file) to be sent to transcripts@inccrra.org or mailed to:
INCCRRA
1226 Towanda Ave
Bloomington, IL 61701
Click here for the work experience form.
To Renew your Gateways Credentials, click here.
