This report contains recommendations for agencies concerned with the preparation and certification of professionals and the licensing of paraprofessionals to work with young children. People with leadership and supervisory skills are essential for college teaching, on-the-job supervision, and consultative services. Personnel on all levels should be trained to function as a team, and the concept of upward professional mobility should be part of the certification process. Preparation of professionals and paraprofessionals must be a joint effort carried out by educational and community agencies. Direct involvement with preschool children in community-based settings is recommended, for training should provide both knowledge of subject matter, and an understanding of young children. At all levels of teaching, certification should depend upon demonstrated competence, and criteria and procedures for evaluating competence should be established. Both training programs and certification requirements should be flexible enough to permit competent persons with limited training to begin working with children. There should be more than one route to certification and licensure based on competence rather than credits, and new approaches to inservice training for teachers should be designed. (DR)