The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has once again granted accreditation to Edison State Community College’s Child Development Center. NAEYC granted a five-year approval to the center on January 26, 2024.
NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous and transformative system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality improvement in early learning environments.
“We’re thrilled to continue to maintain NAEYC accreditation, as it validates our ongoing commitment to providing a nurturing and enriching environment for the children in our care,” said Holly Short, Edison State Director of the Early Childhood Development Center. “This achievement underscores our dedication to fostering the holistic development of each child, laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning.”
To obtain reaccreditation, the Edison State Child Development Center went through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to verify and ensure the program met each of the 10 program standards and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria. NAEYC-accredited programs are subject to unannounced quality-assurance visits during their accreditation term, which lasts for five years.
“Edison State’s Child Development Center is celebrated not only for its academic achievements but also its commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment where children can thrive,” Short said. “This accreditation is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of all of our educators and staff.”
The Edison State Child Development Center is a developmental program of care and education for children three years of age through kindergarten. The program is open to the children of local communities, as well as children of Edison State students, faculty, and staff. Its goal is to provide engaging and developmentally appropriate activities that promote the social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative growth of children. The program observes a staff/child ratio of one teacher for every eight children.
In the 30 years since the establishment of NAEYC accreditation, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. NAEYC currently grants accreditation to over 6,000 programs; less than 10 percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition.
“NAEYC-accredited programs have committed to a process that takes time, energy, and dedication to complete,” said Alissa Mwenelupembe, Senior Director of Early Learning Program Accreditation at NAEYC. “Edison State’s Child Development Center has demonstrated its commitment to young children and their families.”
Visit www.edisonohio.edu/Child-Development-Center for more information about Edison State’s Child Development Center. To learn more about NAEYC accreditation, visit www.naeyc.org.