Governors State University’s Family Development Center (FDC) has been awarded accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The FDC specializes in programs for young children, including programs for children from birth to three years of age, all-day and half-day pre-kindergarten, after school and evening child care, as well as parent education programs.
The NAEYC is the top professional organization working on behalf of young children in the nation. Established 25 years ago, NAEYC accreditation has become widely recognized as a sign of high quality early childhood education. Currently, approximately only eight percent of all preschools and early childhood programs achieve NAEYC accreditation.
The accreditation comes after a two day visit in May, during which the center was assessed by a NAEYC representative. The NAEYC assessed the FDC by 10 different criteria it deems as vital: relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment, and leadership and management. The FDC received near perfect scores in all of these areas.
FDC Executive Director Carol Morrison said in a press release the program’s NAEYC accreditation is the result of two years of preparation, which included fine-tuning the FDC’s training, policies, and procedures. As part of the preparation, early childhood teachers at the FDC documented their teaching practices and curriculum for a year. Additionally, the FDC rewrote their handbook and surveyed parents whose children attend the center.
“We are honored to receive NAEYC’s accreditation,” Morrison said. “For us, this is an affirmation that we provide an excellent early childhood program. We work to assure that children of all ages in our program are receiving the best education they can, and will be lifelong learners.”
The benefits of the NAEYC’s accreditation extend beyond the FDC’s walls. Dr. Deborah Bordelon, Dean of GSU’s College of Education, in a press release said students who are pursuing an Early Childhood Education degree will benefit from the FDC’s accreditation as well. Early Childhood Education majors often work with the FDC, and will benefit from working at a facility that meets NAEYC standards.
“At Governors State, we are strongly committed to providing high quality early childhood education through our programs at the Family Development Center,” Dr. Bordelon said. “Our initial teacher preparation programs in Early Childhood Education are also nationally recognized by NAEYC and our pre-service teachers are able to obtain valuable field experience at the FDC. Achieving the NAEYC accreditation provides affirmation of the quality work that our Family Development Center and College of Education faculty, students, staff, as well as our community partners, are engaged in on a daily basis.”
The FDC’s NAEYC accreditation is good through September 2017. The FDC will be required to file a report annually with the NAEYC and comply with NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards. The FDC is located on Governors State University’s campus at 1 University Parkway, University Park, Illinois.
-Melissa Hall