In the news:

• Celebrating Accreditation
• Center Spotlight: Region 5
• Board Business: NAEYC Accreditation

Celebrating GSA’s Longest Accredited Programs 

Region 1: The Kathy Herward Child Care Center Andover, MA - 1993

Region 2: Club Fed, Albany, NY - 1993

Region 3: Sound Start, Philadelphia, PA - 1993

Region 4: Treasure House, Covington, KY - 1989

Region 5: Kinderplatz, Bloomington, MN - 1994

Region 6: Corporate Kids, Kansas City, MO - 1994

Region 7: Future Stars, Austin, TX - 1992

Region 8: Clever Kids Learning Center, Denver, CO 1995

Region 9:  GeoKids, Menlo Park, CA - 1994

Region 10: Joyful Noise, Portland, OR - 1994

Region 11: DOT/FAA CDC Washington, DC -1993

Window Covering Month

Kids and cords don’t mix! Parents and caregivers are urged during October to check window coverings for exposed or dangling cords, which pose a strangulation hazard to infants and young children.  

“Every year, cords from window blinds kill children,” said U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Elliot F. Kaye. “Corded window coverings are one of the top five hidden hazards in American homes—and they are a preventable hazard.”  The industry launched the Best for Kids certification program to help identify suitable window covering products for use around young children. Cordless products available include (partial list): cordless drapes, sheers, light-filtering cordless shades, cordless blackout shades, cordless roman shades, cordless mini-blinds, shutters, and cordless motorized shades.  

Parents and caregivers should follow these basic window safety precautions:

• Use only cordless window coverings, or make cords inaccessible to children.
• Move all furniture, cribs, beds and climbable surfaces away from windows.
• Use window guards or stops to prevent falls from windows.  Ensure that windows cannot open more than 4 inches if young children are present.

For more information on window cord safety, visit CPSC’s Window Covering Safety Information Center, and windowcoverings.org.

Quote of the Month: 

One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation".  Mister Rogers

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Celebrating Accreditation

Pictured are:Julie Rodriguez-Asst. Director (L); Kristi Cantrall Infant Teacher  (C) and Cindy Ehler-Director (R)

This year the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation system celebrates its 30th anniversary.  This accreditation system promotes high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research.  In the GSA network of over 100 child care programs, 95% are NAEYC accredited.   

Special congratulations go to Treasure House Child Development Center located in Covington, KY, recognized by NAEYC for twenty six years of continuous accreditation.  This center, housed on the IRS campus has offered high quality care to thousands of families since 1989.

"This center's commitment to quality began when they were first NAEYC accredited" stated the Center's Director, Cindy Ehler.  She continues “It comes down to providing a supportive learning environment and nurturing children’s growth. The guidelines provided by NAEYC, coupled with constant reflection, evaluation and responsive practice, creates a recipe for success. Commitment starts from the top down and reaches throughout our program and community. As we take a moment to celebrate our NAEYC anniversary, we remind ourselves to celebrate daily". 

Congratulations go to Treasure House Development Center on such a great accomplishment.

Center Spotlight: Region 5

Twenty One Years of Accreditation

Kinderplatz Childcare & Education Center, earned its first NAEYC accreditation in 1994.  The center has maintained high quality for this Federal community in Minnesota through two center renovations and a center move across town.  While their physical space has changed and moved the program has just gotten stronger. 

Kinderplatz is proud to have earned and maintained the highest mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for its commitment to reaching the highest professional standards. Behind the program’s ongoing success stands a team of committed Kinderplatz teachers, families, Board members, program consultants, community supporters, and GSA representatives.

Board Business: NAEYC Accreditation

This year as NAEYC celebrates its 30th anniversary Boards of Directors may want to recall why NAEYC Accreditation is so important and what it means to them.

If you are a Board Member and asked about NAEYC accreditation here are some reasons why the Board supports NAEYC!

Quality

1. The NAEYC Accreditation process is a great team-building activity for programs! Achieving accreditation brings a strong sense of accomplishment to teachers and administrators when they reflect together on how far they have come.
2. Through Self-Study and goal setting, NAEYC Accreditation helps early childhood programs achieve and maintain high-quality early care and education. It outlines best practices for programs and encourages programs to be the best they can be.

Resources

1. The NAEYC Accreditation process facilitates program–family partnerships through family surveys and feedback.
2. Self-Study is the primary process for implementing real and lasting improvements in early childhood programs to create a safe, responsive environment where children can grow and learn.

Improvement

1. The focus placed on continuous quality improvement opens a pathway to ongoing reflection and professional growth.
2. As a program goes through the NAEYC Accreditation process, the bonds between teachers, administrators, and families are strengthened through their work together in learning about the criteria for quality and collecting evidence of how the program meets them.

Community

1. Accredited programs partner with their community to provide needed services and resources to families.
2. Parents and families trust NAEYC Accreditation because they know that accredited programs provide the highest quality care and education for young learners.

As NAEYC Celebrates its 30th year anniversary they invite you to check out their website, which includes information from the article above.  

http://www.naeyc.org/academy/content/naeyc-celebrates-30-years-accreditation