Children’s House accredited by national association
Utah State University’s Children’s House earned accreditation in January from the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
According to Mark Ginsberg, executive director of NAEYC, more than 8,000 early childhood programs, which serve three-quarters of a million children, are currently accredited by NAEYC. Nationwide, he said, less than 10 percent of center programs have achieved this recognition.
“By earning accreditation, Children’s House has become a leader in a national effort to raise the quality of early childhood education and to help give all children a better start,” Ginsberg said.
To achieve accreditation, Children’s House voluntarily underwent a comprehensive process of internal self-study to determine how well it met the standards of NAEYC in order to improve the quality of services they maintain, said Linda Ebersole Gilgen, program
administration of Children’s House.
After making necessary improvements, she said, the program was observed by an independent professional validator, and then reviewed by a national panel. All aspects of Children’s House were examined, she said, such as the interaction among children, staff and the administration. When Children’s House ascertained compliance, it was awarded accreditation, she said.
NAEYC accreditation shows families in the community and surrounding areas that children within the program are receiving the best of care and early learning experiences, Ebersole Gilgen said.
“We’re extremely pleased to be accredited by NAEYC, and recognized for our commitment in reaching the highest professional standards,” Ebersole Gilgen said.
The primary change after accreditation, Ebersole Gilgen said, will be a larger facility, roughly 9,000 square feet, in a new location. A plan to include infants and toddlers into their program is being considered, she said, which will create a demand for more teachers to maintain their low teacher/child ratios. Currently, Children’s House is open year-round to children ages 3 to 6 during fall and spring semesters, Ebersole Gilgen said, and during summer semester, children, ages 3 to 8 are accepted.
An improvement that was made prior to accreditation, Ebersole Gilgen said, was improving the community within the staff. She said Children’s House received positive marks in staff/child interaction and the appropriation of the environment for children.
“Not only are children afforded meaningful opportunities to develop life skills, interacting with others, turn-taking, decision-making and resolving conflicts constructively, the planned curriculum encourages children’s active involvement in the learning process through hands-on and interactive activities and experiences in individual, small or large group settings,” Ebersole Gilgen said.
Kristi Bell, Children’s House’s teaching assistant, said they have met the guidelines all along.
“It was just a matter of getting paperwork turned in,” Bell said. “We have a great program and a great confidence in our ability to educate children.”
NAEYC created its accreditation program in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education and to help families identify high-quality childcare and early education programs.
-kap@cc.usu.edu
A girl in the Children´s House at USU is making a drawing by dipping string in paint and pulling it around on paper. The Children´s House may offer care for infants and toddlers in the future. (Photo by Jamie Crane)