For immediate release... The National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), recently granted
Newington Elementary Children's Center, Inc. (NECCI) accreditation for
their preschool. This prestigious recognition has been achieved by approximately
7% of early childhood programs nationwide-some 6,215 programs as of May
1999, serving approximately 574,402 children. Program Director, Maggie
Rubino, stated "this has been a valuable experience for us, something
we are very pleased about".
NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous, voluntary
process by which early childhood programs demonstrate that they meet national
standards of excellence. Child care centers, preschool, kindergartens,
and before and after school programs are eligible to seek NAEYC accreditation.
Approximately 12,000 programs are engaged in seeking accreditation. See
NAEYC accreditation criteria
Programs seeking accreditation undergo an intensive self-study, collecting
information from parents, teachers, administrators, and classroom observations.
They receive an onsite visit, conducted by early childhood professionals
especially trained by NAEYC, to validate their self-study results. A team
of national experts who grant or defer accreditation independently reviews
all of this information. When awarded, accreditation is valid for three
years.
"The heart of NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child's experience"
said Maggie Rubino. The process carefully considers all aspects of a program
including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, and physical
environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children’s relationships
with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually,
physically, socially, and emotionally."
According to Rubino, research supports the value of accreditation for
children. Children's language and social skills especially benefit from
the better quality found in NAEYC-accredited programs. "These are
critical areas for children's success in school as well as in life,"
said Rubino.
NAEYC accreditation began in 1985, with the first program accredited
in 1986. NAEYC is the nation's oldest and largest organization of early
childhood professionals dedicated to improvement of quality early childhood
education. NAEYC established accreditation in response to me growing number
of American children spending large amounts of time in group settings
away from home, and the uneven and often inadequate consumer protection
afforded by state licensing of child care facilities.
NECCI preschool is located at Anna Reynolds Elementary School and serves
twenty children ranging in age from two years and eight months to five
years. NECCI also offers a preschool summer program. NECCI will proudly
display the NAEYC torch - the sign of NAEYC accreditation. Parents who
look for (lie torch when choosing child care or early education programs
for their children will find programs, which have made a commitment to
excellence for young children and families.
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