BFIS – Tracking Professional Development

Each staff person working in a regulated child care program has a Quality and Credential account in the Bright Futures Information System (BFIS).   It is your private online location to hold -

  • work experience
  • completed degrees and coursework
  • education in process
  • certificates and credentials
  • individual professional development plan (IPDP)
  • training/workshop attendance
  • copies of transcripts

Your Credential Account is always accessible online.  It has a secure username and password.

To enter your Credential account, go to the BFIS Help Desk https://bfishelp.ahs.state.vt.us to sign-up for a username and password: request Credential Account only.  Use the user name and password you receive to log in to your Quality and Credential Account on the BFIS home page.  When you get into your account, see your BFIS Credential Account number in the upper left side of the page.

This is what your account page looks like. Look on the side bar of this webpage to find  step by step tutorials to getyour BFIS Credential user name and password  and use it.

Once you are in your Credential Account you can create, update and print your IPDP in your account.  You can also print the listing of the trainings and workshops you have attended.  You can add training and education information, but Northern Lights staff will need to verify it before it can be seen on the page.  There are 2 ways that trainings and course information can be verified and entered into your account.

  1. Send copies of your documents to Northern Lights and we will verify and enter the information into your Credential Account. Use the Documentation Cover Sheet as a cover page to guide you.
  2. BFIS Sponsors work with Northern Lights to submit calendar and attendance information in a streamlined process. That information is verified and entered for participants immediately.

Now your information is in one place, electronically.  When applying for certificates, credentials, tuition grants, program licensing and STARS, your account can be viewed by Child Care Licensors, Northern Lights staff, Child Development Division grantors, and STARS administrators.  Just reference your BFIS Credential Account number.

The Bright Futures Information System (BFIS) is a data management system operated by the Child Development Division of the Department for Children and Families.  Northern Lights Career Development Center helps people to use the professional development tools in BFIS.