611 Seventh Avenue, Suite 208
Huntington, WV 25701
Phone: (304) 523-0433 - (866) WVAACDS
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Did you Know?
ACDS was the first early childhood apprenticeship in the United States. Since it's beginning in 1989, the program has evolved and grown. The ACDS program has received national recognition and inquiry.
Let's Get Started
The West Virginia Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist (ACDS) program is offered in counties throughout the state. The ability to offer classes in a region depends partly on the number of interested early childhood programs, the availability of instructors, an appropriate location to hold class, and the establishment of a local council. Each region that offers ACDS classes has a local council representative that registers students and oversees the implementation of classes in his or her area.
As you read the sections below, you can click on the section header for additional information about each topic.
Class Schedule
The current class schedule gives you an idea of when and where classes are held. The upcoming semester will have a schedule posted to the home page a month prior to the registration deadline. The registration deadline is the last day for students to register for the upcoming semester. To register, students must complete a class orientation, submit a registration form and submit payment. Payments can be sent to the address at the bottom of the page. ACDS also accepts credit/debit card payments. The transaction form to submit payment using a card is in the resource section on the apprentice page.
Local Council Contacts
If you have questions about the program, or need additional information you may contact ACDS directly or contact the local council representative for your region. You can access the list of local council representatives by clicking on the heading above. Once registered as a new student, you will need to complete an orientation.
Search and Register for ACDS Orientations
The ACDS orientation is only available online through the WV STARS (www.wvstars.org) training calendar. To access the training calendar you must first be on the WV STARS career pathway or registry. The orientation is designed to provide all students with the information they need to be successful in the program. You may click the heading above for directions to help you find the orientations on the training calendar.