Professional development refers to the ongoing, formal preparation that gives child care staff the knowledge and skills they need to best serve children and families. Well-designed professional development includes a broad range of activities and audiences:

• It benefits providers in all settings, both child care centers and family child care homes
• It responds to the needs of providers at all levels, from entry-level assistants to multi-site administrators
• It spans a continuum of depth of knowledge, from short-term workshop-style training to college-level education

Professional development will sometimes be referred to as "education and training." Education is coursework taken at a college or university. Training is usually designed to deliver a very specific body of knowledge or to teach a specific skill (such as playground safety or first aid). Training should be used as a follow-up, rather than a substitute, to education.