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Early childhood education programs in Puerto Rico

4 early childhood programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these early childhood education programs, and Puerto Rico has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Childcare workers look after children's needs and help their early development. What they need varies by state and employer, from no formal education to a certificate in early childhood education; most often states ask for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which takes coursework, experience and a period of being observed working with children.1 The CDA takes a high school diploma or GED, 120 hours of early childhood education, 480 hours of work with the age group you choose within three years, a portfolio and the CDA exam.2

In Puerto Rico, 2 of the 4 programs take students without a high school diploma and 2 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

All 4 are the same kind of program: child care or preschool certificate.

See the 4 programs

How much do early childhood education programs cost in Puerto Rico?

$983 to $10,804

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program
Left out
Half of Puerto Rico's programs report exactly 100%, far more than in other states
Working 6 months later
Left out
Every program that reports it reports exactly 100%
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Puerto Rico may also offer early childhood education programs. How these figures are made

Are there free early childhood education programs in Puerto Rico?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 4 early childhood programs in Puerto Rico approved for WIOA funding

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4 programs

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personNo diploma needed

    Asistente de Educación Temprana

    ICPR Junior College

    Arecibo

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    ICPR Junior College, AreciboChild care or preschool certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$13,800
    Price if you pay yourself$10,200
    Program website, Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College
    More details about Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College
    Finished
    Left out
    Working at 6 months
    Left out
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,454
    Length
    52 weeks, 26 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $833
    Students counted
    20
    Earned a year, estimated
    $13,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $10,200
    Program website, Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Tecnico de Cuidado Infantil

    Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico

    Mercedita

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, MerceditaChild care or preschool certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$983
    Program website, Tecnico de Cuidado Infantil at Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico
    More details about Tecnico de Cuidado Infantil at Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    45 weeks, 26 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,198
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $983
    Program website, Tecnico de Cuidado Infantil at Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico

  • Child care or preschool certificateIn personNo diploma needed

    Asistente de Educación Temprana

    ICPR Junior College

    Hato Rey

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    ICPR Junior College, Hato ReyChild care or preschool certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$10,200
    Program website, Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College
    More details about Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 42 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $828
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $10,200
    Program website, Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College

  • Child care or preschool certificateSeveral formatsHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Asistente de Educación Temprana

    ICPR Junior College

    Mayaguez

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    ICPR Junior College, MayaguezChild care or preschool certificate · Accredited schoolSeveral formats · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$10,804
    Program website, Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College
    More details about Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    45 weeks, 34 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $472
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $10,804
    Program website, Asistente de Educación Temprana at ICPR Junior College

How to pay for early childhood education programs in Puerto Rico

WIOA funding can pay for early childhood education programs in Puerto Rico

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for early childhood education programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for early childhood education programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Early childhood education programs in Arecibo, Ponce, San Juan and other Puerto Rico cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Puerto Rico

How early childhood education programs compare with the rest of education and social services: Child care and social services training in Puerto Rico

Where the Puerto Rico early childhood education program numbers come from

Which Puerto Rico early childhood education programs are on this list?

These are the early childhood education programs Puerto Rico approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Puerto Rico offers.

How the prices and results of Puerto Rico early childhood education programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Puerto Rico figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Puerto Rico among the states with "known data quality concerns".11 We leave out the share who finished for Puerto Rico: half of its programs report exactly 100%, far more than in other states. We leave out the share working 6 months later for Puerto Rico: every program that reports it reports exactly 100%.

Sources for the facts about early childhood education programs in Puerto Rico

Show the 11 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Childcare Workers
  2. Council for Professional Recognition: CDA Credentialing Process Overview (February 2026)
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List
  11. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns