Kentucky

Overall Policy Lever Score

3

Licensing requirements for directors, at a minimum, require a 12 clock-hour orientation and child development training plus one year of experience working with children. The director’s credential in Kentucky requires 12 semester hours in leadership and management and can be part of an early childhood degree program or as a separate course of study specifically created for the credential. Principal licensure requires a graduate degree. The state pre-K program has no qualification requirements for administrators when the pre-K program is delivered in community-based organizations.

Policy Levers Rating

  1. 1 Administrator Qualifications in Child Care Licensing 2
  2. 2 Administrator Credential 1
  3. 3 Principal Licensure 4
  4. 4 Administrator Qualifications in QRIS 2
  5. 5 Administrator Qualifications in State Pre-K Programs 4

Interesting Facts: Kentucky

  • The average salary of child care directors ($43,530) exceeds that of elementary principals ($41,859) in Kentucky.

  • Kentucky is one of eight states that require college credit in leadership and management for the director credential.

  • There are 280 child care directors, 273 family child care providers, and 930 elementary school principals in Kentucky—atypical of many other states.

Kentucky Data TablesPolicy Lever Rubric